


The Cooper Gang's Adventures in Danganronpa

by MarcusCooper



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dimensional Travel, Every Character Included, F/M, Harems, I suck at tags, Multi, multiple OCs - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:34:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26417269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarcusCooper/pseuds/MarcusCooper
Summary: The Cooper Gang has completed many big jobs, but are they capable of preventing an apocalypse? Outplaying a mastermind? Instilling hope when despair seems insurmountable? Only time and effort can find the answer.
Relationships: OC/Chihiro Fujisaki, OC/Everyone, OC/Sakura Ogami
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story, so constructive criticism welcome. (Please, no flames.) My OCs are based on D&D characters, which are based on the Sly Cooper franchise. This is meant to happen after their D&D adventures, but I don't know how to write for that, so here's the early sequel.

Marcus POV

"Splendid work, boys" 

"Thanks, Mom" 

My mother was smiling like she always did when we came back after a successful job, I think part of her happiness might've been the fact that we were no longer in danger. Then again, happy seems to be my mother's default when it comes to emotions, I'd never seen her angry, even if I'd only known her for about a year.

I should probably explain that last part. My father had some interesting relationship dynamics, which led to me having three biological parents, one of which I couldn't know about due to those same dynamics. As you can guess, the supernatural are involved. I'm still piecing it together myself, but from what I can gather dear old dad managed to get a goddess to fall in love with him, he didn't know about the goddess part, of course, but by the time he did it didn't matter. Turns out her father was the All-Father, the most powerful god in this world, and Mom was Celestria, Goddess of childbirth, empathy, and basically anything else a mother would do. Grandfather didn't approve of mom's new rebel boyfriend, or the baby growing in her, and tried to send dad to the hells, but he was a resourceful guy, he got out and kept on living, eventually settling down with who I thought was my only mother. Anyway, enough exposition for now.

"So, how much is all this worth?"

Xenfaelon looked over the goods we had "liberated" from the oppressive lord Mom had sent us after, she might be trapped defending the world from her father's wrath, but she still had ways of knowing what was going on in the world.

"About 2,000 Gold.", the score was fairly large, but not the best we'd had, the town was small, not quite a city, but still big. We'd caught wind of the local lord skimming from the tax revenue. He had raised the rate to nearly triple what the king told him, and we connected the dots pretty fast. 

Oh, right. Xenfaelon, or “Xen”, is the brains of our Gang. He makes the plan, assesses the loot, heals us if we need it, basically anything a Knowledge Cleric can do, and he's amazing at his job.

“At least 10% should go to a local charity to help the poor rebuild.” They all nodded in agreement. The only one I haven’t introduced yet is Zorgath, or “Zor”, the Gang’s enforcer. He’s 6’3, 240 lbs. of Half-Orc rage, but he’s learned to control his temper a little for my sake. Me, Xen, and Zor have been together for 13 years since we met at the orphanage, and our bond as brothers is unbreakable. 

Xen suddenly chimed in “Alright, 10% to charity means 1,800 is left, so assuming this isn’t gang funds?”

“No, this was a simple job. Besides, last time I checked; we aren’t hurting for operating expenses.”

“Okay, so 600 gold each.” When we became friends, I told the guys about my family’s tradition of forming a gang to assist with their “endeavors” and they agreed to form one, voting me leader. 

“Alright, anything else?” 

“Just the celebratory feast!” Mom had always stressed that a job well done deserved to be followed by good food, and with how she cooks, we weren’t objecting anytime soon.

“Alright, but nothing alcoholic to drink. You know I don’t do that.” That was Zor.

“Yeah, I know.” For some reason, Zor refused to drink, ever. Even after we hit legal drinking age earlier this year, he refused to touch a drop of the stuff. He could’ve drank before then, as the rules for adventurers were different than those for ordinary people in most countries. “If you’re old enough to slay monsters, you’re old enough to hold your liquor.” That was most people’s logic. 

“Of course, dear.” Mom treats my friends like her own sons, which I don’t have a problem with, cause of our bond; they even took my last name to show just that. 

About an hour later, we were in Mom’s mansion, a translucent servant had shown us to the dinner table, and we were stuffing our faces with Mom’s cooking. Remember what I said about Mom being trapped protecting the world? This is how: After All-Father figured out that dad had survived, he wanted revenge, so he did what sane god would do, tried to destroy the world. Mom couldn’t let that happen, so turned herself into a huge tree in the clearing where she fell in love with dad, she used this as an anchor to put a divine shield over the world, preventing her father’s will. She made a magical mansion in the tree so she’d have somewhere to live, which, for the past year has served as our place to live too.

About halfway through dinner, Mom spoke up.

“Marcus, what if I told you there were other worlds that need your help?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised, Xen’s talked about a multiverse theory more than once, and his theories are usually right.” 

“Well, there are, and they do,” she took a breath, as if steeling herself, “and I want to send you there to help, will you go?”

“Depends, what threats are they facing? Can I bring the guys? How long would that take?”

“I don’t know, yes, of course, and probably years in that world, but not long at all in this world, a day at most.”

“If there are people that are suffering, and I can do something then I’ll go. Guys?”

Xen voiced his approval, while Zor simply nodded and grunted, tearing apart a whole game hen.  
“Looks like we’re in.”

“I’m glad. The world I’m sending you to is different, but a little magic on my part should make it as if you’ve lived your whole life there. This world will die without your help, it’s good you agreed.”

“Okay, so when are we going?” that was Xen.

“After dinner, I wouldn’t dream of sending you off without dessert.” Mom smiled her warmest, and you could feel the care coming from her, she really is the goddess of motherhood.

After a very filling dinner, me and the guys went out of the tree, preparing to travel across worlds. Mom described how her magic would ease our transfer.

“All the gold you have will turn to that world’s money, you’ll have memories in that world, so you’ll know how to use their technology, and any magic Xen has that doesn’t exist in that world will manifest as natural abilities. Your memories won’t let you know anyone, but you’ll be able to blend in.” 

“Thanks, Mom. Where’s the portal?”

“I’ll create it now, the portal back won’t open until you prevent the world-ending crisis, but you won’t have to look very far.”

We all passed through the portal, and suddenly the memories assaulted my mind.


	2. Chapter 1: Arrival at Hope's Peak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First story, constructive criticism welcome, please no flames.

Marcus POV

My head was filled with memories of this world. Buying my first phone with Xen, or Doug, as he was called in this world, Training with Zor, or Steve, at the gym to find my body’s limits, pulling jobs all over the world to do my father’s memory proud. I still remembered everything from my world, but I had a whole life’s worth of memories here.

Looking around, I saw we were all in a bar, not too classy, but far from trashy. Xen and Zor were both human, so Elves and Orcs must not exist in this world. I looked in my wallet, this world’s version of a coin purse, and found a lot a paper with numbers on it, this world’s money. Before I could ask the guys what they remembered, a blonde man in a white suit and matching hat walked in and sat down next to us. Now that I focused on his face, I could tell he had a goatee and thin mustache.

“Hey, boss man, got any sake?”, I guess that was his drink of choice.

“Sorry, sir, we don’t have that here.” I didn’t expect the barkeep to say yes, this is just a typical American bar after all.

“Damn, thanks anyway.” He just pulled a flask from his hip and took a swig, I guess he expected the bartender’s answer too. “You got a place I can talk to these three in private?” He pointed to our group.

Steve’s instincts to protect me must’ve taken over, because the next second he was next to me glaring at the guy.

“Hold up. We don’t know who you are and already asking for a private meeting? Only an idiot would say yes to that!”

The blonde took it stride, and simply said “Well I can fix that, my name is Koichi Kizakura, can we talk now?”

“It takes more than that, smartass!” I put a hand on Steve’s shoulder, sometimes he goes a bit overboard sometimes, but with my help, he can always reel himself back in.

Steve took a breath, and Doug used that moment to interject, “Relax, he’s not dangerous.” Doug has the best intuition I’ve ever seen, so now I know we’re safe. 

“Alright, now we’re getting somewhere. So, boss man, you got a place?” Koichi had decided to speak up again.

“You can talk in the back.” 

“Thanks. Let’s go.”

When we got there, Koichi pulled something from his coat, if Doug hadn’t said he wasn’t dangerous I might’ve flinched, but they were just envelopes. 

“You guys ever heard of Hope’s Peak Academy?” 

My new memories kicked in, “Yeah, it’s that big school for Ultimates in Japan right?”

“Right you are, kid. And all three of you are invited.”

Steve decided to speak up at that, “But we ain’t Japanese, how’d we get invited?”

“Hope’s Peak scouts the world for Ultimate talent, not just Japan. He’s probably the one that scouted us.” Doug, like always, had done the research and probably knew all there was to know about Hope’s Peak.

“Right again. Anyway, since you’re Ultimates everything in regards to moving expenses will be taken care of, so take it easy, maybe brush up on your Japanese. School starts in three months.”

“What exactly are we “Ultimate” at?” I had to ask, because I didn’t know what this world considered Ultimate. 

“Check your invites, kid, they tell you exactly why we want you at our fine institution.”

“Alright, are we done here?” Steve seemed to grown impatient with having nothing to contribute.

“Yeah, don’t worry. I just came to give you your acceptance letters, see you in class.”

Koichi left, so me and the guys could finally confirm memories and the changes in this world.

“Alright guys, what should we straighten out first?"

“Ideally, we should internalize our new memories, we need to be absolutely thorough to avoid suspicion. First off, how old are we?” Leave it to Doug to think like that.

“16.” We all had the same answer.

“What are our names?” My name hadn’t changed, but they already knew theirs’, I assume they knew they were human too. I decided to ask a question.

“What do I look like?” 

“Same as always. Dark hair, pale skin, purple eyes, ‘bout 6’” Steve decided to inform me.

“I wager that since Marcus was already human, he didn’t need to change.” That made sense, Doug always connected the dots faster than anyone. 

“I’m pretty sure the only thing that changed about you guys is your skin tone.” They both shared my skin tone, but other than that, Doug had his brown hair, Steve had his dark hair, and they were both as tall as they’d been before. 

“Okay, now let’s confirm memories.”

What followed was us confirming the key points of our new life: The roles in the gang were the same, just with a few modern tweaks. Steve had apparently taught us how to use firearms to help with self-defense, I still had my family’s heirloom cane, a sturdy work of mahogany with a gold hook at the top, even after generations of use it still looked new. Other than having a new modern flavor, most of memories were the same as always. Turns out the bar we’re in was our meeting spot for underworld connections, and we were only here tonight because someone, probably Koichi, had asked us to meet. 

“So, we’re in agreement?” Doug had gathered we’d finished with our memories. We both nodded.

“Alright, then I’d suggest we open these letters.”

We did, and turns out I was the Ultimate Thief, Steve was the Ultimate Brawler, and Doug was the Ultimate Analyst. I suppose all those talents make sense, given our roles.

“Well, can’t say they’re wrong.” Steve had always been sure of his fighting ability, so I’m sure it didn’t surprise anyone that his talent revolved around fighting.

“We should study Japanese culture; we’re going there in three months.” I knew that this couldn’t have been a coincidence, whatever world ending crisis was supposed to happen would happen at Hope’s Peak. 

The next three months were a crash course in all things Japanese. Doug learned almost instantly, and took to teaching us, I learned most everything, though I couldn’t understand why they used last names as first names. Steve had a bit of trouble, but could get through your average conversation. Then the day came, a twelve-hour flight, and boom, Japan. A town car was waiting for us at the airport, which was good, because we didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with car rental. Jet lag was strong as Japanese time was 14 hours ahead of where I was before. It was about an hour from the airport to Hope’s Peak, it let us out at the gate. Orientation doesn’t start for an hour, which is good, because judging from the main building, I’d need at least half that time to take it all in. 

“Damn, I knew you said it was a big, fancy school, but I still need time to adjust.” 

“The school building is grand, even by the standard my research set. This truly must be the academy for Ultimates.”

“Well, let’s not keeping them waiting. Time to meet our new classmates, guys.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Leave a comment if you have any criticism, writing advice welcome.


	3. Chapter 2: Introductions

Doug POV

We made our way to orientation. Our acceptance letters came with guides that said that it was held in the gymnasium, but no map. Thankfully, there was one on the wall of the entrance hall, which I promptly memorized. Marcus was good with maps, but he didn’t have my eidetic memory, so he could still get lost.

When we arrived at the gym, I immediately gathered we were the last ones there, unless the upperclassmen were going to show up, highly unlikely. I set to work getting a read on the principal, or headmaster, as the office was called here, he seemed earnest, sharp, everything you’d look for in a principal, but also troubled by something he couldn’t control. Might be related to the crisis, probe more later. Before I could go any further, he introduced himself.

“Hello, Class 78. I am the Headmaster of Hope’s Peak Academy, Jin Kirigiri.”

My mind automatically translated his speech. For me, learning a new language is as simple as flipping through their dictionary, after that the words stick in my mind and translate for me. That apparently included converting their names to their western equivalents. I half listened to the rest of the speech and read the room. A lavender haired girl kept sneaking looks somewhere between contempt and indifference, probably related, maybe estranged. Only a couple of other students stood out, A brunette boy in a hoodie, his hair was styled with an ahoge on top. He read as being unusually optimistic, but his face said he thought he was out of place. the other was a girl with blonde pigtails that my new memories recognized as Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista, I recognized nearly all of them from my research into Hope’s Peak, but up close, I could tell something was off. Our eyes locked, and her look changed from bored to that of a predator, I don’t know how, but she will play a role in the crisis, need to gather info. In the meantime, I need to make sure Marcus stays away from her, shouldn’t be too hard with 15 other perspective friends to steer him toward.

Marcus POV

The headmaster’s speech went on for a bit, but no so long that you couldn’t listen. He talked a bit about what the school stood for and how it was our job to build hope for the future, then two teachers handed out keys to the dorms and our e-handbooks, which was essentially a tablet you could use as a map, a rulebook, and a way to check your grades. The one handing out the boys dorm keys was the man who gave us our letters, Mr. Kizakura. The one with the girls dorm keys was a woman with orange hair and a smile on her face. She looked like a great teacher from how she handled the students, but she wasn’t much older than me, and I swear I saw her wearing a housekeeper’s apron. I was checking my e-handbook when I felt someone tap my shoulder, I thought it was one of the guys, but it was a beautiful girl with blonde pigtails and blue eyes. I was ready to talk to her, but Doug called to me over the crowd.

“Hey, Marcus!”

“One second, please.”

“Of course!”

For no reason, Doug stopped talking and started in Cooperese, a sign language me and the guys had made up when we were kids; it had a written form too, so it became our secret language for communicating quietly.  
(Cooperese sign language)

(Don’t talk to that girl.)

(Why? Is she dangerous?)

(I don’t know. Need to gather info, until then stay away.)

(Alright, but I don’t see it.)

Doug and I found Steve and went to class, fortunately we all had the same one. It wasn’t really a class, so much as a chance to introduce ourselves to our classmates. We filed in, and were surprised to be first, and to see Mr. Kizakura was our teacher. He still had the hip flask he drank from that night, which prompted Doug to ask “Aren’t you a teacher?”

“Yep. Don’t tell me I look young enough to be a student?” He took a drink.

“Then why are you drinking? No school in the world would allow that.”

“This isn’t any school Doug-kun, this is Hope’s Peak. The rules are very different, long as I can teach, everything’s fine.”

The other students filed in, and Mr. Kizakura decided to start.

“Alright, kids. I won’t ask you to work too hard on your first day, just going over some ground rules. First, attendance isn’t mandatory as long as you work to further your talent. Second, neither are uniforms, as long as what you do wear is decent. Third… Wait, what was third? Forget it. Anyway, I’d ask each of you to come up and tell us a bit about yourselves.”

He started calling names from the roll chart, and the introductions started. First was a guy in a crisp white uniform with blue hair and intense red eyes, his back was way too straight, I wonder what his deal was.

“I’m Ishimaru Kiyotaka, and I’m the Ultimate Moral Compass! Let us work together on our educational crusade! For the sake of expedience, please call me Taka!

That means his first name is Kiyotaka. I think I’ll use their first names from now on. I know the honorifics, but I don’t get that naming convention. Why don’t people just use their first names?

Next was a blonde boy with glasses and a suit that gave off an aura of smugness. I hate people like him, but maybe he just needs a friend.

“Name’s Byakuya Togami, if you don’t already know who I am then you aren’t worthy of being here.”

The classes stares turned to glares after that, except for one girl who stared at him longingly.

Next was a boy with long red hair with a white button up.

“’Sup? I’m Leon Kuwata, and I’m the Ultimate Baseball Star.” He said that last part with a lot less enthusiasm.

Next was a guy in a custom-made biker jacket with a pompadour that resembled a corn cob.

“Name’s Mondo Owada, nice to fuckin’ meet ya. I’m the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader.”

Next was a morbidly obese boy with dark hair styled with a short spike at the top and small round frame glasses.

“I’m Hifumi Yamada, but if you want call me by my penname, The Alpha and the Omega, I don’t mind. I’m the Ultimate Fanfic Creator.”

Next was a short, brunette boy in a hoodie, he looked pretty shy compared to the others. I wonder what his talent is.

“I’m Makoto Naegi, and I’m the Ultimate Lucky Student.”

So it was that. I wonder how someone can quantify luck. 

Next was a guy with wild, brown hair sticking out everywhere. He had stubble on his chin and an unbuttoned white shirt over a green tee.

“I’m Yasuhiro Hagakure, Ultimate Clairvoyant, but just call me Hiro. Come find me if you want to kick back and have some brewskies.”

“Wait, alcohol?” I had to ask that. I mean, who offers their entire underage class alcohol in front of their teacher?

“Oh, right. I got held back a few times, so I’m actually 21.”

That would explain it.

Next was a girl with blue hair and matching eyes. She seemed like the type to be happy in most situations.

“I’m Sayaka Maizono, It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I’m the Ultimate Pop Sensation.”

That explains her ease at dealing with the class, this is probably the smallest crowd she’s ever dealt with. 

Next was the girl that stared lovingly at Byakuya, she had dark hair with twin braids going down her back, thick round glasses, and looked like she’d rather be anywhere but in front of the class.

“I’m T-Toko Fukawa, not that any of you will r-remember me anyway. I’m the Ultimate Writing p-Prodigy.”

Next was a light brown skinned girl with her brown hair in a vertical ponytail, she was wearing a red sports jacket with a white tee underneath, and practically zoomed to the front of the class when her name was called.

“Sup, I’m Aoi Asahina, but my friends just call me Hina, let’s be friends. Oh, and I’m the Ultimate Swimming Pro.”

Next was a petite girl with light brown hair and matching eyes. She was wearing a school uniform with a long skirt.

“Hello, nice to meet you all. I’m Chihiro Fujisaki, the Ultimate Programmer.” She was so timid, but unlike Toko, it didn’t seem to come from self-hatred. 

Next was a girl with long, lavender hair. She had pale purple eyes and was wearing what I’m going to say is a semi-formal suit with a skirt on the lower half.

When most people had introduced themselves, she was still silent in front of the class.

“If you don’t introduce yourself, I’ll do it for you.” Mr. Kizakura said. She must have some history with him.

“My name is…Kyoko Kirigiri.”

Wait, Kirigiri? That means she’s related to the headmaster. I might ask her about it, but doesn’t seem like the type to talk. She didn’t tell her talent either, so I decided to speak up. “What about your talent?”

“I’m the Ultimate Detective.”

Next was the girl that had tried to talk to me in the gym, she was beautiful, I wonder if she was the Ultimate Model or something.

“Hizees! I’m Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista!” She winked at me, like she wanted to friendly with me in particular, I guess I’ll talk to her later, she doesn’t seem that bad.

Next was the girl that sat next to her. She had short dark hair, a smattering of freckles on her face, and blue eyes the same color as Junko's. She looked nervous, but not like the others, almost like she was scared of what might happen, but also prepared for anything. She was hesitating, so I flashed her my friendliest smile.

Seeing that she blushed and introduced herself. “Mukuro Ikusaba, Ultimate Soldier.” 

Next was a girl in a gothic dress with dark hair styled in drills. Her red eyes were intense, but not as much as Taka’s, her pale face was a perfect mask of calm.

“Greetings, I am Celestia Ludenberg, the Ultimate Gambler.”

I gather she isn’t Japanese. Maybe we can bond over being exchange students. The last one up was a buff person with long white hair. I say person because I’m not sure of their gender.

“I am Sakura Ogami, the Ultimate Martial Artist.”

Okay, she’s a girl, didn’t know a person could get that buff. I should introduce her to Steve.

With no one else, Mr. Kizakura called us to the front.

“Last but not least, our American exchange Ultimates, you can come up together if you want.”

Me and the guys decided to take our introduction together, much to the surprise of the class.

“I’m Marcus Cooper, the Ultimate Thief, but I only steal from criminals and other bad people. You guys can just use our first names to talk to us, It's what we're used to.”

“I’m Steve Cooper, the Ultimate Brawler, don’t mess with these guys and we can be friends. Otherwise, you’ll be drinking through a straw.”

“I’m Doug Cooper, the Ultimate Analyst.”

With that over, Mr. Kizakura released us to roam the campus or check into our dorms, we decided on the latter first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Criticism or comments welcome.


	4. Chapter 3: Safe house and Recon

Marcus POV

All our dorms were pretty much the same. We all had a bed, our own bathroom, a round table, a low shelf, and a study desk. All-in-all, they seemed pretty livable, and Doug pointed out that the rules didn’t say anything about personalizing, so I guess we can do that. Now that we’ve established a safehouse, we can begin the recon process to try and figure what might cause the crisis. Doug insisted I check out Junko. I can’t see why, but Doug’s never been wrong when it came to this, so I guess I’ve got to find Junko.

Doug POV

I had Steve meet in my dorm to discuss exactly what was off about Junko, and possible strategies to deal with her.

“Then she looked at me like some kind of predator. Even ignoring that, It’s like she was trying to look through me, I think she’s tied to the crisis.”

“Alright, what do you want me to do?”

“Try talking to Mukuro, I think she might be related too.”

“How so?”

“She and Junko are pretty close, but not a good kind of close. When Junko looked at her in class, she didn’t speak, like she was waiting for permission. There’s no way that relationship’s healthy.”

“Alright, I’ll look into it. Anything else?”

“I can’t think of anything, I guess just wait for Marcus’s intel.”

Marcus POV

I walked around campus trying to take everything in. I didn’t see Junko in the dorms, so I figured I’d better make sure I knew the territory, one thing all great thieves have in common is that they never get lost.

I was in the cafeteria when I spied Junko and Mukuro across the room, now I could talk to both of them.

“Hey, Junko-san!” 

She looked at me and smiled. “Marcus! Get over here!”

She patted the seat to her right while Mukuro took her left.

“Hey Marcus. I missed you in the gym, what did your friend want?”

“He just wanted to tell me something about the school, he’s always been more observant than me, so he points stuff out to me.”

“That sounds like Junko-chan.” Mukuro had finally joined the conversation.

“How so?” She might have something I can use for intel. 

“She always notices the smallest details in things. You can’t hide anything from her.”

“Sounds like a good trait to have.” So, Junko has Doug level intuition, this could be a problem if she is tied to the crisis.

“Can you tell me more about yourself Junko?” 

“Sure. I like fashion, obviously, and I’m a hopeless romantic. I’m always looking for the one, but my work prevents boys from seeing the real me. All they want to do is brag that they’re dating a model.”

She seemed to sadden as she goes on. I think I see a cluster of mushrooms growing on her head, probably just this world’s version of magic. 

“I’m like that too. I give every girl a chance, but if I don’t feel a spark that could last a lifetime after a few dates, I let them down easy. Fortunately, it usually works, so I don’t have a lot of enemies.”

“Really!? Maybe we have that spark, we should go out sometime.”

I remembered why I was here in the first place, so I might as well try to talk to Mukuro.

“What about you Mukuro? What do you do for fun? What type of guy do you like?”

“I don’t really have any hobbies. I mostly just train and spend time with Junko-chan. I don’t really have time for relationships.” She blushed the entire time she said that, so I’m pretty sure whatever guy she likes, I fit the bill.

“That’s too bad. I’m sure you’ll find the one someday, you’re pretty cute.” I smiled honestly. I hope she does find the one, she had blushed when I called her cute.

“Anyway, we’ve got somewhere to be, so come on Muku-nee!”

Wait, nee? That means their sisters, must be twins too. Who would’ve guessed? They look so different. 

I’d better get their contact info for future reference. “Wait! We should meet up sometime. Can I get your numbers?”

Steve POV

I got tired of waiting, so I decided to look for Mukuro, hopefully away from Junko. Junko didn’t really strike me as type to try and end the world, but then again, successful villains are often the surprise kind. I looked for a while, but I realized I hadn’t eaten since the plane. That shit barely counted as food, so I decided to take a break and see what kind of spread they put out for the Ultimate students.

I went to the cafeteria and what did I see? Not only was Mukuro there with Junko, but the girl was blushing at Marcus. Guess I don’t have to talk to her now, Marcus has always been the best out of the three of us at that. I’ll tell Doug after I stuff my face, this spread is delicious.

Marcus POV

I went back to my dorm, our established safehouse for the time being. Doug was waiting for whatever I managed to dig up and Steve had just gotten back from what I assume was stuffing his face. I had eaten a carb heavy snack to get me through the day, and I could only assume Doug had snacked while he planned her next move. I summarized my info to Doug and he worked his magic, he knew our ideal next move and put into presentation form in 10 minutes. This world’s technology had done wonders for that, as before he had to make due with drawing out the plans and hoping we understood.

“Gentlemen, Marcus running into both Junko and Mukuro was a stroke of luck. While you were out, I was hacking into the Hope’s Peak computer network.” Apparently, Doug’s role in this world had expanded to include all things electronic. “I found that the school experienced a 9-month period of normalcy before our admission, despite the turbulent events before that period.”

“That must be Mom’s magic, to help us prevent the crisis. She couldn’t send us any further back without arousing suspicion, so she froze everything else for 9 months before Class 78 got here, then picked up with us integrated into the school.” 

“I’ve also found that something called the Izuru Kamakura Project is centered on the Reserve Course, a branch that enables ordinary students to experience the academic standards of Hope’s Peak with the condition of passing an entrance exam and paying an exorbitant entrance fee. Despite all this, the Reserve Course is notoriously underfunded and looked down upon.”

“Three guesses what that cash is going toward.”

“Yes, that’s how I discovered the Project. I can’t figure out what It’s doing, but whatever it is, It’s very expensive. I’ll probe deeper later for something more concrete. Marcus, what’s your report?”

“I was able to figure out that Junko and Mukuro are sisters, they seem to be joined at the hip, so getting them alone should be a challenge. I also got the cell numbers, if that helps.”

“That does help! Send me their numbers.” I sent them, and his face lit up. “This is great. I can track their cells through the satellites now that I know their numbers.”

“What exactly are you hoping to find?”

“Anything that might connect them to some sort of impending crisis. Like I said, Junko seems off, especially her relationship with Mukuro.”

“Okay, I’ve got trackers on their phones. If they go off-campus, I’ll know.”

“Did you get anything out of the girls themselves?”

“Some personal info. Junko is apparently a hopeless romantic, but thanks to her job, can’t find the one. Mukuro says Junko has abilities similar to yours.”

“What do you mean?”

“Apparently, Junko notices the smallest of details with a passing look, and she reads people very well.”

“If she’s anything like me, It’s going to be harder to end the crisis if she’s involved. Can you set a meet between us?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, if she’s like you and you guys meet, she could figure out why we’re here and accelerate her plans.”

“Even I didn’t know everyone’s Ultimate just by looking at them. We should be fine as long as we don’t let too much slip.”

“Alright, I’ll call her later.”

“Wait a minute. You both have your jobs, what the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“Be prepared in case the meeting goes sour and we get captured.”

“Alright.”


	5. Chapter 4: The Date

Marcus POV  
I guess I’d better call Junko to try to set that meeting for Doug. When I dialed, she picked up on the first ring. 

“Hey, Marcus. What’s up?”

“Hey, Junko. I was just telling my friends about you and came up with a great idea.”

“Oh? Well don’t keep me in suspense. Whatcha got?”

“Well, I saw how your sister was blushing at me, and you and Doug appear to have similar abilities, so I figured, why not make it a double date?”

“That’s inspired! I’ll tell Muku-nee. Now tell me about your friend, is he cute?”

“In a nerdy way. He can hold a conversation on just about anything ‘cause he reads everything, so you’ll never get bored, assuming you can keep up with him.”

“You got a pic?”

“Oh yeah. I didn’t think of that, I’ll send you one.”

“Kay. I’ll text you later to set up the times and everything.”

“Alright, it’s a date.” Well, I set up the meeting, even if it was as a double date. I wonder how Doug will react. Better go tell him.

“You asked her out?!” It turns out Doug wasn’t pleased.

“Yes, I thought that would be the best way to get them to relax. Plus, I want to get to know them better personally.”

“Maybe you didn’t understand me. Junko is the person most probable to cause the crisis we’re here to prevent according to current intel. Also, according to that same intel, she has analytical abilities similar to mine. Ergo, it would be a bad idea for you to ask her on a date, a double date with me included is even worse for obvious reasons. Final point: Dating Junko is the worst idea you could’ve come up with.”

“Well, good thing I’m not dating Junko. I’m dating her twin sister, who for some reason looks nothing like her, but is still super cute. You’re dating Junko.”

He facepalmed, “I know better than to tell you to cancel, but at least keep me appraised as to what they’re planning for this ‘date’.”

“Can do. She sounded pretty excited, so I’d expect another call soon.”

I was right. Two days later, Junko called me and said she had reservations at Ginza Kojyu at the end of week, apparently it one of the best restaurants in Tokyo. She told me it was a small place that specialized in kaiseki-style, which is good, because I had yet to try any traditional Japanese food. I wore my good suit, a simple black coat and pants with a purple tie and pocket square. Doug fought me every step of the way, but never told me cancel anything. I was helping Doug get ready in his room. 

“Did I mention that this date is a terrible idea?”

“Plenty of times. But you also told me not to cancel, so I didn’t.”

“Would you have canceled if I told you to?”

“Probably not. But cheer up, tonight we have a double date with a supermodel and her beautiful twin sister, what could go wrong?”

“I know of at least 100 scenarios that involve things going very wrong. We don’t even have Steve with us, what’s to stop them from kidnapping both of us once we exit the restaurant and having their way?”

“Who said we didn’t have Steve with us?”

“I know that mischievous glint in your eye, what did you do?”

“Well, since the ladies took care of the reservations, the least I could do as a gentleman was handle transportation, which should be arriving…now.”

I pointed out the room’s window toward the gate, where the black limo Steve was driving had just pulled up. Doug saw and started murmuring about the odds of certain outcomes now that Steve is with us, of course he would. I love Doug like a brother, but he needs to loosen up, or else he’ll never get a girlfriend. I clapped his on his shoulder and looked down into his eyes (he was 5’9 the last time we measured him) and shook him out of his trance. 

“Doug, we have a date tonight. You don’t need to analyze everything like we’re on a job, just go with the flow and we’ll get what we need. People don’t overanalyze on dates, they have fun.”

“Yes, which is why most of my scenarios where Junko causes the crisis start with her seducing you.”

“Maybe you’re seducing her, did you ever think of that?”

“What does that even mean?”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s time to pick up our dates for the evening.” Doug had decided on a simple suit that mirrored mine, but the coat was white and the tie was dark blue.

“Wait! When you get Mukuro, give her this.”

He handed me a small bracelet with a blue stone. “You got me a gift to give to her?”

“Yes, is that so wrong?”

“No, and I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I just thought you weren’t into this idea.”

“I’m not, but I know your style.”

“Thanks, man.”

“No problem.”

I went to Mukuro’s room and knocked on her door, while Doug did the same with Junko. Mukuro opened the door in her Hope’s Peak uniform, I suppose with her being a soldier, that it’s probably the dressiest outfit she owns.

“Oh. G-good evening.” Mukuro was blushing more than usual. I hope I didn’t overdress. “I didn’t know it was that kind of date.”

“Don’t sweat it Mukuro, you look great. I always dress like this for dinner dates, I’m sure the place Junko booked isn’t that fancy.” That seemed to calm her down a bit. “Milady?” I offered her my arm.

“Oh, um, is it like this?” She doesn’t understand, does she? Is this her first date ever? She eventually joined her arm with mine.

“Yes, just like that. Oh, before I forget.” I handed her the bracelet.

“Is this for me?”

“Yes, has no one given you a gift before?”

“A few times, but I’ve never really dated.”

“That’s terrible, how has no one asked you out?” 

“I don’t really have time for dates, it’s that simple.”

“Okay, shall we go see how our siblings are getting along?” 

Mukuro and Junko’s rooms were next to each other. We made our way to the other duo.

“How’s it going you two?” Junko’s hair was still in pigtails, but she was wearing a nice dress made of shiny, gold fabric. It would look gaudy but Junko made it work, part of being the Ultimate Fashionista, I guess.

“Muku-nee! Why aren’t you wearing a nice dress? I told you this place is nice; this is so embarrassing!” 

“I’m sorry, Junko-chan, but I don’t own anything like that.”

“You should’ve asked me for one! We’re twins, we can share clothes if we need to!” Mukuro looked embarrassed, I’d better cheer her up.

“Everything’s fine. Didn’t you say that this is a small place, Junko? This isn’t some big restaurant with a rigid dress code.”

“I guess you’re right, Marcus-kun. I hope no one judges her for not being as done up as us.”

“Well, I took care of our ride, so shall we?”

“Let’s.”

Doug POV

That lying bitch!

Drawing attention to Mukuro is exactly what she wants. That’s why she wore that dress, she’s begging to be noticed, but what would she gain from humiliating her like that? I don’t care what Marcus says, this date is for analyzing our opponents, not having fun.

Marcus POV

We walked to the school gate where Steve was waiting outside the limo to open it for us. He had opted to wear his usual outfit of a black t-shirt, and jeans instead of the chauffeur’s outfit I wanted him to, he said suits made him itchy and restrained his movement. 

“What’s up, lovebirds?”

“We are not lovebirds; I hardly know Junko.” UHHH. Doug, why must you be so technical?

“Which is why we’re having this date, to know each other better.”

He had decided to tell me the next part in Cooperese. (I still say this is a bad idea, and I’ll tell you why later.)

“Marcus, what’s Doug-kun doing with his hands?” Junko must be curious, since we had Doug help develop the language, it was basically indecipherable to outsiders. 

“Just a sign language we made up when we were kids. Play your cards right and I’ll teach it to you.”

(Don’t you dare. This is one of the few things we have that she can’t decipher, I know you want proof before you condemn her, but my word should at least convince you not to act so friendly.)

“Relax Doug, this is a date. Nothing to be afraid of.”

(Famous last words.)

It’s so complex. It probably takes a while to learn, huh?”

“Yeah, but not if you have a teacher, and it’s well worth it. If you were in on half the conversations that we could only have in Cooperese, you’d know.”

“Sounds fun, I’d love to learn that.”

“How about you Mukuro? You’ve been quiet tonight.”

“I-I’m allowed to speak?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t you?”

“Sorry, I don’t get out much. Like I said, I didn’t really have time for relationships before Hope’s Peak.”

“Well, clear your calendar, ‘cause I’m going to be your ideal boyfriend starting now.”

“O-okay. I think I can do that.” There’s that stutter again, she really is adorable when she’s blushing. 

“Friendly warning, lovebirds, I can hear everything you’re saying.”

(Yet another reason to not talk now.)

“What’s your friend saying Marcus-kun? He hasn’t said a word all night.”

“He’s a bit shy around new people, it just means he doesn’t trust you yet. I’ll translate what he says to you.”

With that we arrived at Ginza Kojyu. Steve stopped the car and I let everyone out. The restaurant was on the 4th floor of what looked like a typical office building, but Doug and I did my research, so we knew better. We headed up and Junko exchanged greetings with the hostess as she had made the reservations. Based on my research into Japanese culture, everything was traditional. Tatami floor mats, traditional counter, I have high hopes for this place. Since our party was only 4 people, we were seated in one of the 3 rooms behind the counter. Once we were situated, we talked before the waiter arrived.

“So, Mukuro, what do you like to do for fun? I know you said you didn’t have time for much, but surely you have something you like to do?”

“I really only have time for Junko-chan outside of work. I’m the doting type, I’d take a bullet for her you know.”

“My mom’s the same, but she couldn’t come with me to Japan. It scares me how much time she has on her hands, I wonder if she makes time for friends.”

“Maybe we could go there on a break and introduce ourselves. She sounds like she’d be glad you made friends here.”

“Yep, that’s sounds like her. I’ll see about those travel plans.”

The waiter’s arrival broke our conversation. 

“What would you all like to drink?”

“Water, please.” I could understand that, Junko being a model and all. Not that she needed to watch her figure if that dress was anything to go by.

“Water.” Mukuro copied her sister.

It came time for my drink. “Would you recommend any particular blend of tea to go with a meal?”

“Oh, yes. I know exactly what you’re looking for, sir.”

“Thanks, I’ll have that.”

“I’ll have what he’s having.” Doug copied me.

We made small talk until the drinks arrived, and then looked at our menus.

We all had a Kaiseki-style meal, which consists of several small courses. I won’t bore you with the details, just list what the courses typically serve.

First, an appetizer, then seasonal sushi and side dishes, then seasonal sashimi, then simmered meat and vegetables, then a soup, then flame-grilled fish, then vegetables in vinegar, which acts as a palette cleanser, then a more substantial hot pot, then a rice dish, then seasonal pickled vegetables, then vegetable soup with rice, then a dessert, which I was particularly excited for (I have a sweet tooth.) We differed in our orders. I had a traditional ice cream, Doug had a cake, Junko had a confection that wasn't quite a cake, and Mukuro was about to pass on dessert all together, but I convinced her to order anyway, especially once I heard that she hadn’t had ice cream before. We ate our dessert, and I could tell from Mukuro’s face that she enjoyed her dessert (Of course she did, it’s ice cream, what’s there to hate?) 

About halfway through our meal, Junko spoke up.

“Mukuro, could you come to the bathroom with me?”

“Sure, Junko.”

“Now’s our chance.”

“Chance for what, Doug?”   
“To gather info. I put a bug in that bracelet you gave Mukuro.”

“Man, why would you do that?”

“To gather info. You know, the original purpose of this date?”

“I gave that to Mukuro as a present, bugging it would be a betrayal of her trust.

“Would you wise up? They aren’t going to play by your rules, sometimes to beat the bad guy, you’ve got to sink a little.”

“I know. But that’s too low, I’ll tell her once this date is over, away from Junko.”

“Shh. They’re talking.”

“Mukuro, why’re you getting so close to that white knight? I told you to disappoint him like you do me.”

“I’m sorry, Junko. There’s something about his smile I just can’t say no to. I try but I can’t.”

“That’s it, maybe you need a little reminder about what happens when you disappoint me.”

We heard an impact and Mukuro crying in pain over the bug.

“Wait, Mukuro’s the Ultimate Soldier, so she should be able to dodge that. Why didn’t she?”

“I don’t know, Doug, but I have to make sure she’s okay.”

“Marcus, they’re in the girls’ bathroom, you can’t check now. Besides, I think they’re done.”

They were, and Mukuro’s expression had saddened. “Hey, guys. Hope we didn’t keep you waiting.”

“No, you’re fine.” Our roles had swapped. Now I was the silent one with Doug exchanging pleasantries. 

Finally, the check came, and I paid it. I couldn’t get away fast enough

“Why’d you do that Marcus-kun? I picked the place, so I should take care of that.”

“A gentleman never lets a lady pay. Don’t worry, I make plenty of money in my line of work.”

“If you insist, but I still think I should do it.” 

We went back to the car, and I signed Doug in Cooperese. (Can you handle briefing Steve? I’m going to check on Mukuro away from Junko.)

(No problem, man. Do your thing.)

We had arrived back at our dorms, now to get Mukuro alone. “Hey, Mukuro, can I talk to you, in private?”

Mukuro looked at Junko for approval, and she got it. “Yes. We can discuss it in my dorm, come in.”

Her dorm was like every other. “Mukuro, I have a confession a make.”

“Me too.”

“Oh. Ladies first, Mukuro.” 

“Okay.” She took a breath to collect her thoughts. “I think I’m in love with you, but I can’t pursue these feelings.”

“Yes, you can. You’re just choosing not to.”

“Why do you think that? I told you I only have time for Junko.”

“I think that because the confession I had was…you know that bracelet I gave you?”

“Yes, it’s lovely.”

“I didn’t know it at the time, but Doug had it bugged. I know what happened in the ladies’ room.”

“It’s not what you think. Junko would never abuse me!”

“I know she’s forcing you to ignore your feelings, I can’t let that happen.”

“What do you mean?!”

“I mean, I want you tell me, honestly, how you feel.”

She was quiet for a moment, then she broke down in tears. “You know what will happen if I tell you, right?”

“Not if you don’t let her. You’re the Ultimate Soldier, she shouldn’t be able to hurt you.”

“I can’t disappoint Junko again. No matter how hard I try, it’s never enough to bring her despair.”

“Why would she want that?”

“Junko loves despair. It’s unpredictable, even to her, that’s why I do whatever it takes to give it to her.”

“I think if she knew that she wouldn’t hit you. Why?”

“Because hurting her sister brings her despair. That’s why I take whatever blows she wants, unless it would kill me, because then I can’t help her.”

“When’s the last time she asked you what you wanted?”

“She knows what I want. I want to bring her despair.”

“I meant on a personal level. Surely you have things you want to do that don’t revolve around Junko, when has asked you about that?”

“I told you I don’t have hobbies! I have Junko, and that’s all I needed!”

“Needed? As in, past tense?”

She teared up again, so I prodded her with the same smile that seemed to get her to open up before.

“Yes, past tense!” she sobbed.

“What do you need now, Mukuro?”

“I need to love you!”

After that we both paused as we realized she had just confessed about her feelings. “Mukuro, I felt a spark on our date, even if we didn’t talk much. If you feel the same then--“ 

“NO!”

“What’s wrong? I thought you said—” 

“I can’t love you! Junko told me to put your feelings down in the most heartbreaking way possible!”

“But you don’t want to do that, do you?”

“No. But I have too.”

“No, you don’t. This is your relationship, it’s your choice, not Junko’s.”

That seemed to finally calm her down

“I-I need time to think.” She still had tears in her eyes, but at least she wasn’t openly sobbing.

“That’s fine. Come to me whenever you decide, I’ll be waiting.”


	6. Chapter 5: Therapy (or at least some version of it)

Marcus POV

It was midnight when I got back to my dorm. I can’t believe this. Can Junko really manipulate Mukuro on that level, that her very emotions are determined by her sister’s mood? If that’s the case then Junko is a mark, even if she has no part in causing the crisis. I only steal from evil people, so whenever an evil person makes themselves known, I label them as a potential “mark”. The way I see it, they aren’t victims because marks commit even greater crimes. I’ll talk to Doug about it tomorrow, but I’ve got to wait for Mukuro’s decision. I’ve done all I can without Mukuro opening up more, the ball is in her court now.

“AHHH!” Damn, 2 A.M. I thought I’d be over these by now! I got to tell Doug. I went to his room and knocked.

“Huh? Marcus? What are you doing up at 2 in the morning?” 

“The dreams are still there, Doug.”

“Oh? Come on in.” I entered his room; I could easily mistake it for mine if he didn’t just let me in. “So, was it the same dream, or did it change with the dimension?”

“It was the same. My parents were dying, and I couldn’t do anything.”

“Alright, then the solution should be the same too. Looks like you’re bunking with me.”

“Alright, thanks.”

“You know Steve and I are happy to do this.”

“Yeah. We should get some sleep.”

Doug and I have the same sleep outfit, a simple white t-shirt and boxers. We crawled into Doug’s bed, and fell asleep for the night.

Doug POV

I woke up at 7 for class and reached for my glasses. I don’t have to see my alarm clock to know the time. Marcus was already out of bed and my room, so I’d better call him.

“Hey Marcus, where are you?”

“Just having breakfast with Steve. I’m thinking of getting in some training after this, you want to come?”

“No thanks, man. Someone has to keep an eye on Junko in case she comes to class.”

“Alright. One more thing, Mukuro might ask you where I am, so if she does, point her toward the gym.”

“Can do. I’d better go, I know I can be late, but I don’t want to.”

“Bye, man.”

I don’t have to wear my uniform, but I’ll do it anyway, saves me the trouble of deciding. I combed my caramel hair and walked to walked to class. I was first there, even Mr. Kizakura wasn’t in yet. I sat in the same row as where Junko sat yesterday, three seats away, that should be near enough to hear her and far enough to avoid notice.

Several people—including Junko and Mukuro—attended class today. Mr. Kizakura didn’t bother taking roll call, as attendance wasn’t mandatory, he just started teaching. I focused on the twins faces, trying to get a read on their personalities. Junko was bored, or was just good at looking bored. Mukuro was a different story, she tried to hide it, but her face was a mess of emotions, she must have been crying for hours last night, I’d better pass along Marcus’s message as soon as I can.

The bell to end class couldn’t come fast enough. I tried to signal Mukuro to talk alone once class was over, but I couldn’t be sure if she got it without Junko picking up on it. I waited at my dorm room where I asked to meet, planning what I might say. I knew what she wanted to hear, but not what she needed to hear. What am I thinking? She doesn’t need me to analyze her, she needs Marcus, he’s always had a knack for people. I’ll wait for her, point her to Marcus, and let him do his thing.

Marcus POV

Steve and I had gone to the gym after breakfast. Training helped when I wanted to think clearly, Doug said it was because humans were wired to be able to focus on multiple things at once, so if you exercised your body or provided a distraction, it would clear your head. 

“So, what’s making you slow today? I almost landed a hit back there.” Steve and I sparred at least once every time we trained together. As you can imagine, Steve put an emphasis on physical power, where as I focused on dodging and waited for an opening. This technique had helped Steve with some of the gaps in his stance, as well as my durability, I could take a few hits from the Ultimate Brawler, but dodging was still my best strategy. 

“Just some stuff on my mind. It kind of hurts that I believed Junko could be innocent, then what happened with Mukuro.”

“Hey, if Junko’s a bitch, that’s her problem. Don’t bother with her, she’s not worth your effort.”

“I also had a dream last night.” This made Steve visibly worried.

“Same as before?”

“Yeah, same as always.” Steve clapped a hand on my shoulder.

“You know my door’s open to you, same as always.” He put on a sincere smile, then it changed to a less serious one, I knew a joke was coming. “So, how’d it play with Mukuro last night, brief from Doug sounded pretty bad.” He leaned in close to my ear, “Did you fix her like you did that Tiefling swindler?”

“NO!” A Tiefling in our main base town before I met mom had used her natural dexterity to cheat at cards and other games of chance, it was my duty to the people to deal with her after all they’d given me. I had words with her, and it turned out she was only doing it because she couldn’t find a partner to support her, and living alone is nearly impossible in that city. She wanted more than financial support though, she wanted love. She came onto me then and there, and I reciprocated. We dated for about two months, but I had to leave for a big heist, and we decided to break up on good terms since I couldn’t support from another continent. “Mukuro is hurting, she needs a shoulder to lean on while she reassesses her beliefs.”

“And what are these beliefs she’s reassessing?”

“I’m not at liberty to say.”

“Come on man, you aren’t a doctor. I’m your friend, any secrets you give me are staying secret.”

“I’m not telling. Maybe once she’s figured things out, Mukuro will be okay telling people, but not now.”

“Alright. Are you still up to training?”

“We should probably take a break, it’s almost lunch.” Steve looked at his watch.

“You’re right. They’ve got choice food, like hell I’m going to miss a meal here.”

“Should we change?”

“Depends. Do you want to do something other than train after lunch?”

“I think I might go to class, to check on Mukuro.”

“Right, classic Marcus.”

I took a quick shower and changed into my school clothes, I preferred dark colors, but I typically work in a splash of color, usually purple, to all my outfits. I was alone in the locker room as Steve had chosen to go to lunch in his gym clothes. Steve and I walked to the cafeteria and carbo-loaded to get our energy back, me less so than Steve. I looked at my watch and noticed lunch was almost over.

“Well, I’d better get to class.”

“Hehe, have fun with the nerd brigade. But seriously, tell Mukuro hi for me.” 

I walked to class, pondering what I would say to Mukuro. I couldn’t figure anything out as Mukuro seemed unstable last night, looks like I’m playing it by ear. I finally reached the room in time for next class, and Mukuro had Junko on her left, but her right was open. I snagged the open seat, and noticed Doug was to my right. He looked at Junko to confirm she wasn’t watching me, then started signing.

(She didn’t ask where you were. She must fear Junko too much.)

(I’ll just talk to her directly, if I ask to talk alone in public Junko will have to agree, or else she’ll risk her own social standing.)

(I don’t know if Junko cares about that. What’s the concrete reason stopping her just pulling Mukuro along?)

(It’s a last resort. Like it or not, Junko’s a public figure. Her every step is covered on social media, even here, which means if she causes a scene, the cameras come on, and the media’s all over her. Can’t exactly end the world with every camera in Japan on you. But I’ll try a subtle plan first.)

(That’s clever. I’ll remember that for later.)

I decided to try passing a note to Mukuro telling her to meet at my room. I had to phrase it so that she didn’t show it to Junko, how to do it was the question. I thought for a while, and remembered a detail from Doug’s briefing on our classmates’ backgrounds: Mukuro was a member of an international mercenary group called Fenrir. It was a long shot, but I was willing to gamble that since my memories didn’t recognize Junko before Hope’s Peak, she probably didn’t do much work abroad, or understand any foreign languages. I wrote my message on some loose-leaf paper, folded it, and wrote “for your eyes only” in English. Now I had to pass it to her without Junko noticing, a tall order, all things considered. I came up with a strategy: My progress was agonizingly slow, but I silently moved my desk toward Mukuro’s, I then reversed pickpocketed the note into her blazer pocket, I intentionally made a little mistake in my form so she would feel the rustle of the paper. Her eyes widened, she slid it out enough to read the front, and nodded at me. All I had to do now was move my desk back to the exact same location before the bell rang without Junko noticing, thank God for stealth training.

I went straight to room after class. All I could do now was wait for her, hopefully she managed to get away from Junko long enough to read my note. It was about 15 minutes before I heard a knock on my door.

“It’s open.” I heard the lock click.

“Hello, Marcus. I read your note.”

“Away from Junko?”

“Yes. She probably knows I received a note, and might know it was from you, but she doesn’t know what it said. Would you please tell me why you messaged me?”

“You were pretty unstable when I left you last night, I wanted to check on you, how do you feel?”

“I-I don’t know. I couldn’t possibly give you an honest answer.”

“Please try. I just want to help you sort through everything you told me last night, if you can’t recall your feelings from last night, just describe how you feel right now.”

“I feel…good. A weird good that I can’t describe. I’ve felt like that every time you’ve talked to me, and I don’t know why. If I think about breaking up with you like Junko told me, I feel like I’m going to vomit. Junko told me that’s despair, the best feeling in the world, but it’s not pleasant at all, I must be feeling it wrong.”

“You’re not. You don’t have to feel things just like your sister. You’re your own person whether you want to acknowledge it or not.”

“I don’t know what to say. Or what I feel. I don’t anything anymore!” She broke into sobbing.

I go over to her and hold her close. “It’s normal to not know everything. Humans are constantly changing, but those are typically small changes. You—on the other hand—have had one of your core beliefs challenged rather suddenly, your belief in Junko. You just need to work through that change and reconcile that Junko doesn’t want what’s best for you. I know it’s not that simple, but it has to be done.”

She dried her eyes and said “You’re right. Thank you.”

“Is there anything else you want to get off your chest?”

“Yes. In case it wasn’t clear, I had fun on our date. I wish to continue pursuing my feelings, but it’s unsafe to do so now.”

“How exactly?”

“Junko-chan believes I broke up with you as I was told. If it came out that I didn’t, she would lash out at me, but that’s not what I’m worried about. Her wrath could expand to you, and I’m mot risking your life for anything.”

“So, when would it be safe for us to date?”

“Junko-chan is unpredictable, so it would likely never be totally safe.”

“Then why not just do it?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re concerned for my safety, but my safety will always be in jeopardy, what’s the point of waiting for safety? I really like you, and am interested in where our relationship would go.” 

“I just don’t want to love someone just to have Junko kill them!”

“I won’t die. I have you, the gang, and whatever other friends I make here. Why don’t you think some more, and I’ll come to your dorm tomorrow? If you decide we should date, then I’ll walk you to class.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Oh, right. Walking to class together is one of the non-verbal cues that high schoolers are dating. Even if people don’t pick up right away, they’ll still talk about it, we’d basically be declaring that we’re at least thinking about dating.”

“Okay, I’ll think about it. Did you really mean that stuff about wanting a relationship?”

“Of course. Why would I lie about that?”

“It’s just…no one’s ever said things like that to me.”

“Well, I mean everything I say to you, whether you believe it yourself or not.”

She left with a smile on her face. I can only hope our impromptu therapy session helps her buck Junko’s control, no one should have to suffer like that.


	7. Chapter 6: A Blossoming Romance and Election Season

Marcus POV

“Hey Marcus, wake up.”

“Uhhh. Alright, I’m up. What time is it?” I wiped the sleep from my eyes and Doug was standing over me, he was already dressed for class. I’ve got to stop pulling all-nighters. 

“Early enough for you to get ready and get to class in time, you asked me wake you up. Remember?”

“Yeah, thanks. You do your thing; I’ll be there when I can.” 

“Alright, I’ll save you a seat.” I had stayed over with Doug again, helped keep the nightmares away. I suppose I should get ready. I went into the bathroom which held my toiletries along with Doug’s. I did my morning hygiene, thankfully my lack of sleep wasn’t showing anymore. I looked the same as I did back home, my dark hair short enough to not touch my ears, but long enough to pull off the “just rolled out of bed” look. I suppose it’s time I check on Mukuro. Muscle memory guided me there, and before I knocked, I realized that all the students’ rooms had nameplates, so even if I didn’t already know where it was, finding Mukuro’s room would’ve been child’s play. She opened the door in her uniform.

“Hello, Marcus.”

“So… are we doing this or…?”

“Yes. You made a very good point last night. Please walk me to class.”

“Gladly. Do you think you’ve made progress?”

“Yes, I’m definitely open to a romantic relationship. I’d like to know what the typical process for one is, enthusiasm aside, I still don’t know what to expect.”

“I expected that. Don’t worry, I’ll try and gauge when you’re ready.”

“How could you possibly measure that? Desire is immaterial.”

“Well…” How do I explain it to her without raising more questions? “It’s more of a touch and go thing. A good partner will have a sense for when their partner is ready to progress their relationship.” She visibly bristled at this, so I changed course. “No worries. I know that isn’t your forte, so I’m here for you.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem. Oh, I just realized, do you have to carry any books to class?”

“No, how would that affect things?”

“It’s kind of cheesy, but if a boy and girl are in a relationship, the boy usually carries the girl’s books when they walk to class.”

“Why?”

“I’m not sure. It’s pretty common for the boy to carry things for the girl in general, so guess it’s an extension of that?” 

“Okay.” Just like that? Well, best not question good fortune. The walk to class was uneventful, but I could tell this was a big step for Mukuro as she didn’t take her eyes off me the entire time. Should I do something about that?... It’s probably not that bad, this could just be her love language. 

We had finally arrived in class where, apparently, due to my late start, we were the last ones there. Taka gave us a particularly potent look but didn’t rise from his chair. I wonder what his problem is. We took our seats, grateful that we were next to each other, though I could’ve done without Mukuro being next to her sister. Doug must’ve seen this because I could see him signing in my peripheral vision. 

(Don’t worry, she won’t try anything in class. She may seem unpredictable, but she’s more subtle than that.)

(Thanks, but I can’t help but worry for her. I don’t know if Junko will cause the crisis, but her impact on Mukuro is undeniable.)

(Look at it this way; if Junko’s willing to do this to her own sister to get what she wants, imagine what she’ll do to everything else.)

(But that’s just it. If she ends the world, then she can’t possibly get what she wants, unless her original goal was to end the world.)

(We’ll talk more later. I hear the teacher coming.) Of course, he was right.

“Alright chickadees, I’ve got a treat for you today. You need to pick a class rep for student council.” At this, Taka raised his hand. “Ishimaru, you have a question?”

“Sir! How could we possibly know who to trust with this responsibility when we barely know each other!?”

“It’s been a solid week; you’re bound to have at least one friend willing to trust you. Besides, if you can convince most of this class to trust you, you must be good.” He produced a small egg timer from his pocket and continued. “I’ll step out for five minutes so you can build your case with whoever you wish, choose wisely.” He set the timer and left.

“Well, didn’t see this coming.” A rarity for Doug, though I could understand it given the circumstances.

“As long as I have permission to socialize, who should I get to know first?”

“How about Makoto? He is the Ultimate Lucky Student, even if I have yet to confirm how his talent works, (we’re going to need all the luck we can get to take down Junko.)” Halfway through his explanation I made my way to Makoto, who was chatting up Sayaka. They might get together from how they’re talking, if my friendship with Makoto pans out, I could give Mukuro a real double date experience. 

“Hey, Makoto. Talk with me?” I had decided to inject myself during a lull in their conversation.

“o-Oh sure. Marcus, right? I know we just met, but you seem reliable. You’re definitely class rep material.”

“That’s me. But I don’t really care about student council. I just want to talk with you because you seem like a good friend.”

“I don’t think so, but okay.”

“Why don’t you think so?”

“I’m just your average guy. Not really any sort of material for anything.”

“That can’t be right. I mean, you’re here. Isn’t it required you have a Talent? You have to have something you consider a defining characteristic?”

“Well, I guess I’m more optimistic than normal. I just focus on what’s next if something bad happens.”

“There you go. Optimism can be a powerful force. Believe me, my friends and I wouldn’t do half our jobs without some pep talks. I may not show it, but the thought of my friends getting hurt because of something I pushed them to do scares me. Thank god it hasn’t happened yet.”

“I guess you’re right, but you shouldn’t think like that. I know you’re the leader of your gang and you care about your friends, but that’s just a reason to not worry, you won’t make a decision that hurts your friends as long as you care.”

“Wow. That was an awesome pep talk! That seals it, I’m voting you for class rep.”

“w-Wait a second! You gave me a pep talk first; you should be class rep!” I was spared an argument as the timer rang at the exact moment Makoto finished his objection. However, instead of Mr. Kizakura, we were treated to Steve bursting into the room.

“What’s up, bitches!?” The mild-mannered teacher came in behind my boisterous friend.

“Alright kids, election time.” He doffed his hat and produced several small slips of paper from his pocket. “I’ll give you another minute to think over your choices, then pass my hat around to collect your votes.” I scrawled Makoto’s name onto my ballot and waited for the time to tick down. “Time’s up kiddos let’s see who you chose as class rep.” Mr. Kizakura read each vote, presumably memorizing each one, then wrote the results on the blackboard. “And the winner is…Marcus with 5 votes.”

“Congrats man, I knew you’d get it; I expected by more though.”

“Why? I’ve only been here a week; I’m surprised I got that many.” Only then did I notice Junko walking over. 

“OMG! Marcus, I knew I voted for the right person. I’m in good hands with you as class rep!”

“Wait…you voted for me?”

“Of course, who else was I gonna vote for? I know I can’t do it.”

“Well thanks. I’m glad you trust me with it.” She then left the room, and my gang approached.

“Why the hell would Junko vote for you? She’s gotta have an angle.”

“We don’t know that. It could just be that I was the only person here she felt she knew and was capable of being class rep.” Doug seemed to be running possibilities of the two in his head for a minute but suddenly gave his trademark “Eureka!”

“She does have an angle! The more time Marcus spends on his class rep duties, the less time he’ll have to help us stop the crisis! She knew that if she voted for you then you’d win because me and Steve would vote for you, giving you 3 votes even if Mukuro didn’t vote for you.”

“I knew it.” Mukuro had stayed behind, apparently deciding to not follow Junko. This is a good step for her. Now if only she was more at home around my gang. “My sister never does anything without a reason, even if the reason is pure chaos.” 

“Look, I know this looks bad, but isn’t class rep a good position to keep tabs on your class? I should be able to stop anything Junko throws at me or the class.” At this, Mukuro looked grim.

“I hope you’re right Marcus. For your sake, and ours.”


	8. Chapter 7: Emotional Comfort, a New Recruit, and a Solid Strategy

Marcus POV

Doug had called a meeting in my room to deal with the new development. “Look, I’m just not sure this will take up too much of my time, Doug. Maybe we should just let it happen.”

“No. Class representatives have a surprising number of responsibilities; we need to plan ahead to avoid stalling the other parts of the plan.”

“Excuse me, but what plan are you referring to?” I had invited Mukuro to the meeting. I wasn’t sure why, but when I get a feeling I should do something, I do it, with or without a logical case. I was jostled from my thoughts when Doug pulled me into the bathroom.

“Seriously, Marcus? If you’re going to invite her into our circle, you should at least bring her up to speed.”

“It was a gut feeling; I didn’t have time.”

“Fine. Help me think of a convincing cover story.”

“Wait, what? You want me to lie to her?”

“Of course. You didn’t seriously think I planned on telling her we were sent here from another dimension by a goddess to stop a world-ending event, did you?” His tone has risen a bit, I’m glad these things are soundproof. Especially considering what I’m about to say.

“Actually, yes.” And then, Doug exploded.

“Have you gone mad?!! Do you have any idea what that could mean for our plan—”

“That we’d add one more skilled recruit to our gang?”

“Don’t even start with me right now! She hasn’t even properly broken ties with Junko yet, what if she tells her everything, I’m right about Junko causing the crisis, and Junko accelerates her plans?!”

“Doug. You know I trust you with my life. Now I need to ask you to do the same.” Doug took a deep breath, steadying himself and his mood.

“I-I don’t know what your plan is, but we’re here to save the world. Everything else takes second place. I’m aware of the potential benefits of Mukuro joining us, but the liability of having someone that could go to Junko is too great to chance.”

“What if the risks were mitigated?”

“How would you propose we do that?”

“Let’s get out there and I’ll show you.”

“Ok. But this must be a group decision, unanimous, no exceptions.”

“I planned on that.”

Steve POV

Doug and Marcus are having one of their little arguments, that’s what usually happens when one pulls the other into another room. Probably about Mukuro joining the gang. Might as well get to know her more.

“Hey, Mukuro?”

“Yes?”

“This may be a trigger for you, but what made you switch sides?”

“Marcus.”

“Yeah, I know that. I meant what specifically? People have joined our gang for all kinds of reasons, but they almost always go back to something Marcus said or did.”

“Oh. I suppose I’m interested in him romantically and want to communicate that by being at his side whenever he needs me. I don’t suppose you’re like that, are you? We both follow that key axiom.”

What!? She thinks I’m gay? Alright, let’s set her straight. “I’ve protected Marcus since we were kids, but I don’t swing that way, alright!”

“Understood. As long as we are discussing Marcus, what does he value in a partner?”

“Honestly, if a trait can be perceived as positive, he’ll like it. If a girl isn’t a total bitch, she has a shot at dating him. That attitude, along with his other positive traits, made him quite a ladies’ man back home.”

“I can imagine.” The poor girl was blushing now. “You’re from America, right?”

“Right.”

“Okay, we’re back.” Marcus and Doug had apparently finished their little strategy debate.

Marcus POV

“Alright, before I say anything else, I need to ask Mukuro a hard question.”

“What is it, Marcus?”

“This is a strategy meeting which could affect your sister or others. Do you intend to tell your sister anything we say or plan to do?”

“Of course not. If you want me to keep it secret, I will.” I looked to Doug, who nodded. She’s telling the truth.

“Then I have to ask. Mukuro, do you wish to join our gang? Doing so might put you against your sister, and I won’t hold anything against you if you say no—”

“I’ll do it.”

“Really? Just like that?”

“I love you. I know we’ve only known each other a week, but you’ve done your best to show me what love really is, even though I was completely clueless. I want to be with you whatever it takes.”

“Thank you, I’ll keep trying until you get it. But that’s not the only part of the process. All in favor of telling Mukuro the whole truth, including what we’re really here to do?” Mukuro was just staring at me, I hope this vote goes how I think it will. I raised my hand, “Say aye.”

“Aye.” Steve said without hesitation, I can always count on his help, no matter what.

A few seconds pass as I lock eyes with Doug, he seems to be factoring new information into his plans. This causes some processes to take longer than they should, but the result is near always perfect. Almost a minute later, he seemed to reach a conclusion.

“Aye.”

“Alright, Mukuro. Settle in for a while, it’s a long story.”

I told her everything. My home world, my mother, the mission, even my life before I met Steve and Doug. It all just came flowing out. She didn’t react the entire time, but I knew she had questions. The guys filled in details I overlooked. 

“And that’s it. Still want to join our gang?”

“You’re not lying, are you?” The tone was more surprised than questioning.

“Nope. That is my life.”

“Then I must tell you something. Doug was correct in his assumption that Junko will cause the crisis you were sent here to prevent. I don’t know how, but she told me she would cause the biggest, most tragic, most despair-inducing event in human history. I stand by what I said before. I love you, and I will stay by your side no matter what.”

“Alright then! All we have to do is kill Junko and the problem is gone, right?” Leave it to Steve to think of the simplest solution.

“Not necessarily. While Junko doesn’t care for predictability, she takes great care to make sure no one can defuse her plans until the last moment. She would also see any conventional assassination technique coming, due to her true talent.”

“What? She isn’t the Ultimate Fashionista?”

“She is, but not naturally. She uses her true talent to predict fashion trends and model them just before they’re popular. Her true talent is Ultimate Analyst, she can predict most anything, leading to her boredom with life.”

“I thought Doug was the Ultimate Analyst. How can there be two?”

“The school recognizes Doug as the Ultimate Analyst, so it’s his official title. Junko is recognized as Ultimate Fashionista as she takes pains to keep her talent a secret.”

“I get it. So, a straight up hit is out?”

I decided to chime in. “It seems that way. What should we do, Mukuro? She’s still your sister.”

“I’m unsure. I’ve never contemplated ways to kill my sister before.”

“It’s okay, give him enough time and Doug’ll think of something.”

“Sure, lay it all on me.” He tried to sound indignant, but he knew this was just banter. I heard the faintest chuckle from Mukuro.

“Something the matter?”

“No. Is this how siblings normally act?” She had stopped chuckling, but I could still hear it in her voice. Watching us interact must have made her truly happy.

“In our experience, yes. I know this is sensitive but how did you and Junko interact?”

“Nothing like this. I’ve probably missed out on much of life for Junko’s sake, and my time in Fenrir.”

“We can help you there, just ask.” Steve was the one to affirm her this time, he must be warming up to her.

“Enough!” Doug must’ve grown tired of small talk; this is a strategy meeting after all. “Are we going to make plans or what?”

“Sorry. Go ahead.” Mukuro had regained her monotone voice, she was back in soldier mode.

“Alright. Marcus can probably handle his class representative duties without much trouble; however, time is precious. We need to get to the bottom of this Kamakura Project, while not directly linked to the crisis, the probability is high. I’ll try to hack deeper into their system, but their encryption is strong, even when compared to military hardware. I’ll keep you updated.”

“Hey! Still here! What am I supposed to do?” Steve always gets restless during Doug’s strategy talks.

“If you haven’t noticed, Junko might still have a grudge against Marcus. You’re on protection.”

“And me?”

“Do what you always do. Be prepared to act, but don’t be afraid to make some friends. We could always use more allies. Keep your eyes peeled for Junko’s machinations regarding our esteemed classmates.”

“Is there anything I should do?”

“Do you still have that bracelet Marcus gave you?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, wait. I get where this is going. You want Mukuro to use the bracelet to run interference with Junko.”

“Precisely.”

“Are you up for that?” I worry for what might happen if Mukuro and Junko are alone in a room.

“If it will help you, I will do whatever you require of me.”

“I can’t thank you enough for that. I know it must be…jarring to be with her again.”

“I can come here whenever, right?”

“Of course. You’re in the gang now.”

“Then I have a home as long as I’m here. I’ll be safe whatever happens.”

“I’m glad you feel that way, because I don’t think this is the first time we’ll have to risk our lives in this dimension.” Doug ended the meeting on a grim note.


	9. Chapter 8: A.I. and Knifeplay

Alright, Marcus is doing his part, so I’d better do mine. I can’t hack deeper into the Izuru Kamakura network without help, so I’ll go to the only person that can help me, Chihiro Fujisaki. The Ultimate Programmer may be soft spoken, but her talent speaks for itself, she has the added benefit of being easily convinced to help without divulging our true mission. I should be able to convince her by saying I suspect a connection to the Reserve Course, as she seems the type to be sympathetic to the plight of the underdog.

“Alright Doug, you’ve prepared your talking points, your proposition, everything. Based on your research the chance of her saying no is less than 1%. So why are you so worried?”

I stood outside of Chihiro’s dorm, whispering a pep talk to prepare myself. I wasn’t bad with people, quite the opposite in fact, but I quite preferred the company of my gadgets and trusted friends. Being able to look at somebody and know their intentions is an invaluable skill in the underworld, a skill which Marcus either doesn’t have, or chooses not to exercise. It’s my job to see the bad in people, to lay their secrets bare until even I trust them completely. He is the diplomat, the face, the front man. He handles others as if they’re already friends, and adjusts from there, not foolish per se, but some restraint could do him good. In any joint interaction, I’m there to temper him. But in this case, I take front. I knocked.

“Oh, hello Doug-kun.”

“Greetings, Fujisaki-san. I have something to discuss with you, may I come in?”

“Sure.” As I stepped, I took a good look at the room. Same layout as mine, with the addition of some computers on the table. “So, what do you need?”

“I need an assurance that whatever I tell you will stay secret.”

“o-Of course.”

“I can prove a connection between missing funds from the Reserve Course and a mysterious project behind numerous encryptions. I can’t break through on my own, so I came to ask your help. Are you in, or would you like to know more?”

“w-Wait a second, what’s causing the discrepancy, and how did you find out? This is very sudden.”

“Of course.” I produced my laptop from the bag I had prepared to convince her. “You should find everything you need to know here.”

“My word!” She had visibly bristled; she must’ve seen the transfers of Reserve Course funds. “Are these numbers correct?”

“In all likelihood, yes.”

“These sums are astronomical, even when compared to the entrance fees.”

“Well, you have all the information I do. Are you in?”

“Yes. But we’ll need to go slowly if we want to remain undetected.”

“Yes, I was thinking of one of us using the other as a coprocessor and—”

“Actually, I have a way to burrow into their network without any work on our part.”

“Oh? I have to hear this.”

“Are you familiar with A.I?”

“Are you saying you’ve developed an artificial intelligence?”

“Yes. And with enough time, he should be able to break the encryptions around this “Kamakura Project”.”

“I assume “he” refers to the artificial intelligence? Can I meet him?”

“Sure.” She smiled at that, she must put a lot of time and energy into her creations.

“Hello, Mistress.”

“Oh, he’s modeled after you, how quaint.” An image of Chihiro’s face had appeared, bathed in the green light of the computer screen. It did surprise me, but I suppose her appearance is rather androgynous and she’d want to put as much of herself into her creation as possible.

“His name is Alter Ego. I only created him last month, but he knows everything I do about programming.”

“Am I needed, Mistress?”

“Alter Ego, I need you to break the encryptions surrounding this phenomenon.” She then used a coded flash drive to copy my files to Alter Ego, who processed them.

“These are very strong encryptions; it could take months.”

“I know, but we need to know what’s going on. Are you onboard with this?”

“Yes, though I might require the aid of one or both of you in tough spots. My personality is like my creator, so I support her wholeheartedly.”

“I’m glad to hear that Alter Ego. Well, Chihiro, until we meet again.”

“See you.” The enthusiasm of showing her creation had worn off, and she was now shyly waving from her door.

“A small victory, but a victory all the same.”  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
I was preparing to help Mukuro eavesdrop on her sister. I can’t help but fear what will happen if Junko discovers the bug, or how easily she could discover it. Knowing what it is, I’m bound to glance at it one too many times, and Junko will know something’s up. Mukuro is better in that regard, but Junko’s been dealing with her for years, probably has a trick to draw clues out of her. Enough. I just need to clear my mind, and focus.

“Mukuro, do you have any doubts about switching sides? I mean, I know what she did to you, but you’ve been with your sister since, well, the beginning.” I was polishing my cane, I never left for a job without it.

“I know what you mean, but I have no doubts. I believe in you more than I ever believed in Junko. Is the bracelet straight?”

“Yes. And thanks. I—never mind, it can wait until after we get something out of Junko. Shall we go?” I offered my arm romantically.

“Yes. Let’s be off.” She took my arm seamlessly. She’s gotten better at romantic banter lately. We arrived at Junko’s dorm, and Mukuro stopped me from knocking. “Let me.” She knocked, and the door flew open revealing a blur that zoomed to Mukuro. My battle-hardened reflexes kicked in, the world slowing. The blur was Junko, and she had a knife. I hooked her wrist with my cane and jerked it back, forcing her to drop it. The world returned to normal.

“Damn it, Marcus, that hurt!” She was rubbing her wrist where my cane caught her, “What if my wrist broke?”

“You came at your sister with a knife. I was just defending her.”

“She doesn’t need you.” Her voice had returned to its bubbly normal, the injury forgotten. “She’s the Ultimate Soldier, she could block that in her sleep!”

“That’s true, Marcus. I was prepared to block.”

“That doesn’t matter. Care to explain why you charged your sister with knife, Junko?”

“It’s just a little game we play, we’ve been doing it since we were kids.”

“Is that true, Mukuro?” The prospect of Mukuro having to block knives as a child turned my stomach. Please say no.

“Yes. I nearly always win though.”

“Nearly?!” Dear god, this is getting worse by the second.

“It’s a game, we never aim for the vital areas.” As if that made anything better, Junko!

“Fine, clearly I’m not going to get answers.” Let’s do what we came here to do.

“I just came to check on you, Junko. Have you made any friends?”

“A few. Would you be open to another date, Marcus? Just us this time? I really enjoyed our first one.”

“Maybe once we’re more settled in. It’s only been about two weeks since we started here, and I just got elected class rep. I have to grow into the new responsibilities.”

“Alright, I can wait.” She was smiling, but I could hear a slight pout, or her faking one. I didn’t know what to think after Mukuro’s assessment of her.

“So, who’ve you made friends with here?”

“An upperclassman named Ryota Mitarai, he’s the Ultimate Animator. He keeps trying to show me his anime collection, but I prefer his original work.

“Well, it’s nice to have a friend to do fun stuff with anyway. Any other news?”

“Not really. It hasn’t been that long, even a supermodel like me isn’t that popular.”

“Of course. I’m just checking in.”

“Well, I’ll tell you if anything new happens with me. How about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re clearly dating my sister. When were you going to tell me that?”

“We aren’t dating, Junko.” Mukuro chimed in.

“Oh really? Then why haven’t you two separated since your date?”

“We’re in a sort of trial phase. We’d like to date, but it hasn’t been long, so we’re not sure if we fit.” I tried to describe the state of our relationship.

“Whatever you say. Just promise you’ll tell me before you start doing it, I’m not ready to be an aunt yet.” That sent Mukuro into a blushing mess. We’ve got enough, time to go.

“Well, nice talking to you. We’d better go.”

“Bye! Call me as soon as you’re free for that date.”

“Will do!” I turned the corner and heard the door shut; we were safe.

“That was…an experience.”

“That sums it up pretty well, Marcus”

“Let’s see if Doug can glean anymore from what we heard; I’d rather not do that again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have doubts about Marcus's sudden combat ability, keep in mind that he came from D&D, a world where he and his gang fought people and monsters. A typical round of D&D combat lasts 6 seconds in the game. If you have any questions, post in the comments.


	10. Chapter 9: An Animator and Rage

“So, what did we learn from Junko?”

“That she’s a nutjob.” Lucky for me, Doug was in my room when Mukuro and I came back. I needed to offload what just happened.

“I already knew that. She _is_ trying to end the world. Any leads? People? Places?

“I did get a name, Ryota Mitarai.”

“The Ultimate Animator. What did she say after? She might not have told you her plans, but I might find something out if I look close enough.

“She said that he tried showing her his anime collection, but she preferred his original work.”

“There might be something there. Mukuro?”

“Yes?”

“Has your sister made friends with anybody that didn’t eventually serve her ends?”

“Now that I think about it, no. She puts up a friendly front so that people like her, but never advances a relationship that she isn’t personally interested in or believes would be beneficial to her.”

“So, she wouldn’t call Ryota a friend unless she planned to use him. Alright, I think you and I need to tackle this one together, Marcus.”

“I’m game. When are we headed out?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Alright, how did you do with the hacking?”

“I might have made a breakthrough, maybe a friend too.”

“Nice! So, what background can you give me on Ryota?”

“Well, he seems to have a less than ideal home life, he also developed a love of animated material from a young age and a general phobia of social situations, though it’s unclear what lead to what. He’s what I call a “perfect storm” for what Junko wants in a pawn.”

“Willingly isolated from his age group, little family interaction, obsession with his work. Humans are social animals; they can’t survive without some interaction. He must want it, but is afraid to seek it out, which Junko solves by coming to him and asking about the one subject she knows will get him talking: animation.” I may be a bit naïve, but I’m not dumb; Doug saw to that.

“Exactly, which is why you and I need to get to him before Junko talks him into whatever she wants him to do.”

“Should I come with you? If you run into Junko, I mean.”

“Have you been to meet Mitarai with Junko?”

“No. She ordered me to wait in the area, while she went to his room.”

“Alright, then bringing you along shouldn’t raise any red flags. Besides, we may need protection, and Steve is doing his own thing.”  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
I know I should be focusing on Junko, but Doug told me he had that covered. Ordinarily I’d just do it anyway, but his tone said, “don’t argue with me.” I was getting restless, then an idea came to me: Marcus is the best with people, no question, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pull some weight on that side of things. I remembered that one of our classmates was the Ultimate Martial Artist, so I figured she’d stop by the gym eventually. Stay there a while, work out, and when she comes, start a conversation. Easy really. Until I actually did it. “Hey, Sakura!”

“Hello, Steve-san, is there something you require of me?”

“Not really, I just figured we could be friends since we have similar talents and you seem like a good person.”

“I thank you for the character assessment, but I must disagree on the matter of our talents.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your talent is the Ultimate Brawler, correct?”

“Yeah, what’s your point?”

“I’ve trained against professionals in the arena of honor since I was a child, can you claim the same?”

“Well, no. No two training regimens are the same, you can’t compare talent based on that.”

“Then I ask you this: What training have you done to claim your talent?”

“I’ve had the harshest training of all! Life’s taught me the hard way that the only way to avoid getting fucked over is to be stronger than everything else!” I didn’t like playing the victim card, but I wasn’t going to lie. “No amount of training is worth shit unless you can use it in a real fight.”

“Let’s test that theory.” There was no question in her voice. “You and I will spar, and we will see who fares better.”

“Alright, you’re on.”

We were ready to spar, and I realized she was as tall as me, maybe even a little taller; that didn’t mean anything though, I was going to show her what I could do.

“Last chance to back out.”

“As if I’d back down from a challenge.”

We charged to the center of the sparring mat and met in a vicious clash. I’d expected her strong, but she was also deceptively fast. We were pushing against each other, looking for even the slightest weakness. I knew I couldn’t hold her back with one arm, so throwing a good punch was out. I decided to break the stalemate, as clearly, I wasn’t going to push her off the mat. I let loose with a punch and she dodged and countered, I caught a jab in the left shoulder. I could tell that jab would have moved a smaller opponent, but not me, it barely hurt. I looked for a gap in her defenses, as she did mine; I was thankful for my training with Marcus, any gaps I may have couldn’t have been big. She didn’t wait long unleashing a flurry of punches that even I struggled against. I blocked most with a sturdy arm cross, but she did manage land a solid body blow, which I absorbed as it opened her face to attack. My arms moved without thinking, and a quick one-two punch connected with her face. With my arm cross down, she took advantage, and returned the favor. It bit hard, but I wasn’t in trouble yet. I decided to go for her body, if I could weaken that, I might be able to go for a hold. I punched, but she dodged, and I felt an elbow collide with the back of my head. “If you want to defeat me, you need to come at me with everything you have.” She may be right; I might have to use Rage Mode. Rage Mode is exactly what it sounds like, I give control to the primal rage I’ve nurtured from seeing a world of injustice to annihilate my enemies, but nothing is without cost. I could probably bench a car in Rage, but only because my strength is unchecked. That strength will break bones and tear limbs, which is why I need to hold back. I would kill her in a rage, something I definitely didn’t want to do. “What makes you think I’m holding back?”

“I know you are, and so do you.”

“You’re not wrong. Why don’t we call this a draw and I’ll tell you why?” She pondered this for a moment, deciding if I just wanted out of the match.

“Agreed. Your technique is rather…intriguing. I have a few critiques”

“Alright, let’s get some lunch; it’s a long story.


	11. Chapter 10: An Imposter and Martial Arts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly bigger chapter because I have to go back to college tomorrow. (Not that anyone's reading this anyway.) Enjoy and comment if you so please.

Doug, Mukuro and I had just arrived outside Ryota Mitarai’s door. We were missing class, but Doug assured me that there was no way Ryota would go. I can’t imagine being afraid of everyone due to the past, but I can’t help but wonder if I could’ve turned out like that if I hadn’t met my gang. The orphanage was in small town that neighbored my own, so the people didn’t look down on us like in a big city, but they didn’t feel pressured to interact with us either. I was pretty shaken up for a time after I arrived and kept my head down, but Doug sat down and talked to me one day just because he felt like it. That made me ask myself a key question: I don’t know any of my peers, do I? He may not know it, but that was the first lesson he ever taught me.

“Alright, this is the place. You’ve got the bracelet?”

“Of course, I never take it off.” Doug nodded and knocked.

“u-Um, who is it?”

“We need to talk Mr. Mitarai. It’s vital to your future.”

“o-One moment.” A moment passed before the door was opened. “Oh, I didn’t know there were so many.” The boy on the other side was deathly skinny and pale with bags forming under his eyes, clearly, he wasn’t taking care of himself.

“Relax, Ryota. We all have your best interests at heart, can we come in?” I decided to speak up, Doug did ask me to contribute after all.

My assurance seemed to relax him a bit, as a small smile was now present on his face. “Alright, come in.”

“Thank you, Ryota.” We entered the room and found a mess. Bags of junk food were thrown all over the place, energy drink cans were strewn across a long table that I assumed ended in his work area, given the stylus and tablet there. His blinds were completely drawn, and the only light came from said tablet, I could make out shelves full of disc cases on the opposite wall, probably the anime collection Junko mentioned. “Ryota, when was the last time you cleaned this place?”

“Oh, I don’t know, three weeks ago?”

I also noticed his bed was properly made, despite everything else being covered in trash. “How about the last time you slept?”

“What day is it?”

“Saturday.”

“Oh, then, four days ago? It could be five.”

“How are alive Ryota?! The human body can only go so long without collapsing from exhaustion! Get some sleep, you’re in no shape to have the conversation we want to have.” Nothing set Doug off like self-neglect. It might put us at odds when I get too passionate about a project, but I could always on him to make sure I’m taking care of myself.

“I’m really not that tired, I just lose myself in my work once in a while and forget to sleep.”

“NO! We aren’t leaving until you go to bed and get some sleep!”

“I’d stop fighting, Ryota. I know from experience that he’s not budging on this.”

“Neither am I.” An unknown voice spoke from behind us. We turned around to see a…plumper version of Ryota. I was curious, but Doug spoke before I could.

“I was wondering who was looking after him. It seems our goals are aligned, your name, please?”

“I don’t have a name; you can call me Mitarai.” I thought Doug would press, but he let it go. Was it possible for a person to exist without a name?

“How did you know someone was looking after Ryota, Doug?”

“Something small gave it away. Notice Ryota’s anime collection, Ryota admits that he hasn’t cleaned his room in three weeks, yet his anime remain spotless. If an object is left stationary for that amount of time, a layer of dust would form, ergo, someone has dusted the collection. Also, the trash on the floor has a path clear from the door to the bed, almost as if someone cleaned while they walked to it.”

Of course, Doug would notice and connect those things. Well, I’d better deal with our new friend. “Well, Mitarai, can we count on you to look after Ryota? I know how hard it can be to deal with a guy caught up in his work.”

“Of course. I’ve been making sure he ate and drank enough to keep him healthy,” this prompted a skeptical look from Doug, “by his standards if he can work, he’s healthy. But I’ve been slacking on that front lately.”

“What prompted that?” Doug had calmed down, but I’m prepared to step in if he explodes again.

“The new teacher of my class insists that everyone be present for classes, so I can’t look after him during those times. If I choose not to show up, someone will come to fetch me and see two Ryotas, which will blow my cover.”

“Cover as what?” I was intrigued, especially since he said he doesn’t have a name.

“As Ryota. I have no name, no records, no family. By all rights, I can’t exist except through someone else. I approached Ryota at the start of the year, as my previous identity was going to come under fire, and we worked out an exchange: I get his identity, so he can stay away from people. If others saw the two of us at the same time, questions would be raised, questions neither of us could answer.”

“e-Excuse me, I’m still here.”

“What is it, Ryota?” One of us should hear him out; I was willing too.

“I know you guys said it was important to my future, but why are you guys here?”

At this, Doug exchanged a glance with Mitarai, then me. He was asking whether I wanted to tell Mitarai the real reason we were here or fabricate one. I nodded, he might not have a name, but he was clearly good.

“I’ll tell you both. Please hold any questions for the end, I’ll answer them as best I can.” He then turned to Mitarai, “Are you aware that Ryota met with someone other than us earlier this year?”

“No. Ryota who did you see?”

“s-She came to me and asked me what I was working on. It wasn’t anything bad, she said it was the best animation she’d ever seen!” His yell was about at the level of my normal voice, but I knew what he was trying to say.

“What did you show her?”

“I’ve been working on a way to make people feel certain emotions by watching animations. Most people do anyway, but that depends on taste, this won’t.”

“Why won’t it?” If this is going where I think it is…

“It works by using subliminal messages behind the animation to stimulate certain parts of the brain in order to make a viewer feel certain emotions.”

“What!?” If Junko gets her hands on that the world is screwed! “Ryota, don’t you think that sounds a bit like…”

“Brainwashing?” Thank you, Doug.

“But it’s not! I’m only going to use it to make people happy.”

“Look at it this way Ryota, if someone with technical expertise came to possess your technology, couldn’t they reverse engineer it for the opposite effect?”

“What do you mean?” My turn again, I have to make the point Doug couldn’t. 

“I mean, if someone analyzed your work, couldn’t they make some sort of sadness anime?”

“I don’t see that happening. No one like that really talks to me.”

“Okay, I’ll cut to the chase. We know who came to you, we know what they want, and it’s not good.”

“What do they want?”

“To plunge the world into despair.” Mukuro had spoken; I’d almost forgotten she was in the room.

“That’s outlandish. Why would anyone want that?” Mitarai hung on our every word, the fat stranger was clearly wary for Ryota’s sake.

“I can’t fathom it either, but that doesn’t make it any less true. If Ryota showed his work to my sister, then the world is in danger.”

“Even if I did, she’d need an expert to try and reverse engineer it. She’s only a fashion model.”

“Ryota, you just fell into her trap.” I had to make this guy understand. “She’s smarter than most people know. Give me a straight answer, how much did you tell her about your work?”

“Not much. I figured she wouldn’t understand technical terms.” We all breathed a sigh of relief. “Why are you all acting like she’s evil? There’s no way she actually wants what you say she does.”

“Oh, yeah? Mukuro, time for the proof.” Mukuro played the recording from the restaurant bathroom, and both Ryotas’ faces sank with each word.

“This…can’t be real.” Mitarai was the first to speak. Despite his words, he clearly believed us.

“It is. If she’s willing to do that to her sister imagine what she’d be willing to do to Ryota.”

“And everyone else.” Ryota had connected the dots but didn’t want to believe them.

“What do we need to do?” Mitarai was protective before, but he was crossing over into what Steve and I had affectionately dubbed “Mama Bear Mode” the first time Doug entered it. He was willing to do whatever it took to protect Mitarai, even if it killed him.

“Shelf the project at the least, but it’d probably be better to destroy it outright.” Doug knew what needed to be done, but I could tell how Ryota was going to react.

“That’s not fair! This animation is my life’s work, without it I’m worthless!”

“No, you’re not! I’m trying to save you, just trust me!” Mitarai had joined the yelling, I was going to have to step in.

“Look, I understand what a person’s work can mean to them, but this is the world we’re talking about. Why don’t you shelf the project for now, sleep on it, then talk it out?”

“Literally, sleep on it.” Doug turned to Mitarai, “Did you know he hasn’t slept in four days?”

“That was always the one thing I couldn’t make him do. But I’ll find a way this time, trust me.”

“This is my number. Call me when you’re both thinking straight.” Doug handed them the gang’s business card that he always kept on his person, it might not say we’re a gang, but in the underworld, they know who we are.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“So, you said you had “critiques”?” I was having lunch with Sakura like a promised, and she insisted on telling me the weaknesses of my fighting style.

“Yes, your power and durability are both higher than mine, but I was able to strike back due to my technical expertise. Think about it, one of the main points of proper fighting styles is to defend yourself from people with and without training. Compare my training to your moderate advantage in raw strength and durability, and the fight can go either way.”

“Alright, I can see that; but what should I do to fix it?”

“The solution appears rather obvious to me. Train with me or someone else to develop proper discipline. Martial arts isn’t just about strengthening the body, it strengthens the mind as well; if your rage is what I think it is you might be able to get a handle on it through training.”

“Guess I should explain my rage then. First, you have to understand that the underworld is a life-or-death environment. Everyone plays for keeps, so you either fight or get someone to do it for you. In that world rage is a blessing. Rage is what I call it when I let myself get so angry that I can’t control my fighting anymore, it’s primal, effective, and leaves a lot of blood wherever it goes. It essentially cranks my strength and durability through the roof, but I can’t hold back. Anyone I fight when I rage dies, no exceptions. So, you understand why I couldn’t use it against you.”

“That’s your problem.”

“What?”

“Your fighting style assumes that you can rage, assumes that you must kill your opponent, as a result it’s practical to a fault. But what about an environment where killing is discouraged or outlawed, then you must hold back your true strength.”

“You said martial arts training could help me get a handle on it, yeah?”

“It’s quite possible. You could learn to better control it, let it out in small doses, or retain control when you would otherwise lose yourself.”

“Would you be willing to help me? You’re the only martial artist I know, and an Ultimate at that.”

“I’d be happy to.”


	12. Chapter 11: Doubts and Near Misses

“So, what do we do while we wait for Ryota to come to his senses?” Doug had probably already planned every step of way, but I honestly couldn’t see a productive next move.

“Well, we’re dead in the water until I can break through the Kamakura encryptions, unless a school event Junko can manipulate comes up. I guess keep an eye out for any paperwork that looks like that in your student council work.”

“How about you, Mukuro? What do you want to do?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Because I want to know. You may not have had any interests under Junko, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ever pick them up. Anything you’re especially intrigued by?”

“I gather that the double date that brought us together wasn’t normal.”

“No, normally one date doesn’t abuse the other while the victim happens to be wearing a wiretapped bracelet, why?”

“I’d like to experience a normal date with you. How do you normally act? What do you normally do? That sort of thing.”

“I’d be happy to take you out. Isn’t tomorrow Sunday?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

“Then tomorrow it is then. It won’t be anything fancy so don’t worry about dressing up.”

“Okay.”  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
I had just received a text from Marcus telling where our date would be. What was his game? What did he get out of being nice to me? The revelations about Junko had changed my perspective, and I found myself reviewing my life with a critical eye. Who else had tried to take advantage of me under the guise of kinship? Could anyone truly care for another more than themselves without delusion being involved? He didn’t appear like Junko in the slightest, but was it just a front he crafted to seduce others to his side? Too many unanswered questions. I can think later. I had finally arrived at the date location, where Marcus was waiting outside. For now, I’ll just enjoy what is pleasant, illusion or no. 

“What’s up, Mukuro-chan?” Marcus was blissfully unaware of my current thought process. He probably only concerned himself with insuring I had fun, but I don’t know what to think anymore. I couldn’t ask him for advice this time either, because then he’d either hate me or change his behavior.

“Hello, Marcus.”

“So, I’m new here, but fortunately there exists a tool known as the “Internet”, which knows basically everything. It took me about 5 seconds to find this place and all its positive reviews.” The place he was referring to seemed to be a chain restaurant that I’ve never heard of. “I know what you’re thinking, “chain restaurants don’t count as dates”, but I figured after our…experience with a semi-formal place we’d start small.”

“If you vouch for it, it should be good.” I searched his tone for deception and found none.

“That’s a weight off my shoulders. Shall we?” He extended his arm like always, but this time I was hesitant to take it.

“Are you ok, Mukuro? If you don’t want to do this, it’s fine.”

“No, it’s fine.” I took his arm as the words flew from my mouth.

“You’re shaking.”

“Just excited is all.” Please buy it.

“Alright, but if you’re having problems again you can tell me, okay?”

“Noted.” We ate our meals quietly, with me being too afraid to ask him questions and him looking to be worried about me. We were walking back to the Academy when I started. “So, Marcus, if I had a question for you what would your answer be?”

“I might not know the answer. What’s the question?”

“It’s about you.” He perked up a little when I said this.

“Then I probably do know the answer. Shoot.”

“You know how my relationship with Junko is, correct?”

“Yes. I’m glad you seem to be becoming your own person.”

“But I’m not.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I chose to follow you, much like I “chose” to follow Junko.” He blanched at my inference as it sank in.

“You think you’re falling into the same trap?”

“I don’t know.” It was all I could do to not cry. I loved this man, but his and Junko’s circumstances were so similar. I had to examine this objectively.

“I understand why you might feel that way, but I’m not trying to manipulate you. From what I gather Junko viewed you as a soldier, and I view you as I person.”

“You could just be saying that.”

“I know, but it’s true. What can I do to prove I’m different than her?” At that moment, I spied a dark alley off to the side and got an idea.

“Come with me.” I led him into the alley. With a quick sweep of the other side, I confirmed no one would see us here.

“So, what’s about to happen Mukuro?” I then pulled my pistol, a souvenir from my first days in Fenrir, it was easily concealed and deathly efficient. I never left home without it. Marcus didn’t notice the gun until it was in his face.

“Woah, Mukuro! What’s with the gun?!” I was meant to be an exclamation, but it was hushed to the point that no one outside the alley would hear.

“Look me in the eye and tell me what you’re thinking.” I was almost bursting with tears by this point. I had pulled a gun on the man I loved; my only hope was that I never had to pull the trigger.

“I’m wondering exactly what in your thought process led to you pulling a gun on me.”

“I don’t think I can answer that myself, but this is all I know.”

“Look, I know you’re the Ultimate Soldier, but there must be something you know other than combat. We’ve talked about this; you don’t have to limit yourself for anyone.”

“I know, and I’m learning. But for now, this is my only surefire way to find out the truth.”

“What do you want me to say, Mukuro? What do you need for me to prove I want the best for you and all my friends?”

“…I’m not sure. I can’t think straight anymore; I see everything as some selfish gesture, and I can’t stop.”

“I don’t want to die, Mukuro, but if you think the way to get closure is to kill me, go ahead.”

“Don’t say that!” How could he say that? I loved him, and yet I held him at gunpoint in some dark alley. What is wrong with me? What in my head is causing me to do this? “I don’t want to kill you. I just want answers.”

“I’m trying to help, but I don’t know everything. We may need more help.”

“What do you mean?”

“Whenever I have a bad dream or some mental problem, I go to Doug and he’ll dissect it for me. I’ve probably saved millions in therapy with him.”

“You think he can fix this?” The prospect of this event never happening again was appealing. My resolve hardened. “Let’s do it.” I lowered my gun.

“Alright, that’s what I like to hear.” He extended his arm, but before I took it, he bristled a little. “Mukuro? Your gun is showing.”

“Oh. Right.”


	13. Chapter 12: Couples Therapy and a Gang Argument

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just noticed over 100 hits, thanks to everyone who read. Here's to the next milestone!

As soon as Mukuro and I returned to Hope’s Peak, I told Doug we needed an emergency talk.

“So let me get this straight: Mukuro, you pulled a gun on Marcus, and he just let that happen?”

“Yes. It was rather jarring when he offered me his life.” Doug then turned to me with an expression of angry disbelief. “You were going to let her kill you?! What if she had actually done it?”

“She didn’t.”

“But she could’ve. Even you can’t dodge a bullet, no matter how much you train.” He took a breath to collect himself. “Moving on, Mukuro, why did you feel like you had to do that?”

“I’ve been examining my life with a more critical eye and realized how similar Marcus is to Junko. I just wanted to believe he wouldn’t try to control me.”

An expression of thought crossed Doug’s face before he said “Okay, break that down for me. Why do you think Marcus is similar to Junko?”

“They are both highly charismatic high school students with small cliques of friends that are absolutely devoted to them.” That’s true. Could I turn out like Junko if I’m not careful?

“That’s true, but what about the differences between them?”

“What exactly do you mean?”

“Marcus and Junko aren’t the same person; that much is obvious. What are the things that set them apart?”

“Well, my love of Marcus holds up against introspection, whereas my belief in Junko is exposed as a product of manipulation.”

“Good, what else?”

“Uh…”

“You seriously can’t think of anything else?” She looked down as if shamed, and I shot Doug a look that I hope conveyed my anger at him. “The differences are myriad; shall I list them?”

She nodded, and I prepared for one of Doug’s patented lectures.

“One: Their reaction to free thought. I regularly question Marcus and his plans, and Steve feels free to ask questions, even if he doesn’t always do that. Marcus welcomes this, freely admitting I’m more intelligent. What did Junko do when you questioned her plans?”

She didn’t speak. All this must be bringing up bad memories.

“Two: Their stance toward friendship. Marcus took great care to establish and maintain relationships with anyone he knew he would see regularly or those we wanted to become part of his life, not just us. His clique is bigger than it seems and will grow larger with his time in Japan. How many friends can your sister say she has?”

She was still silent, but I make out the glint of tears forming in her eyes. I wrapped my arms around and prepared to comfort her.

“Three: Their beliefs on the human race in general. Junko believes every concept is predictable, and while there is some truth to that, the fact that humans are behind them proves them somewhat unpredictable. I trust you know how I know that?” She nodded. “Good. Meanwhile, Marcus has made peace with the fact that while life is chaotic, anyone can shape it one action at a time. He believes everyone has the potential to change the world for the better.”

“Doug, enough.” I spoke softly to not disturb Mukuro, who was close to openly sobbing. 

“Alright, I can see my point is made. I trust you believe in him now?”

“Yes. I can’t believe I doubted him, it’s so obvious.”

“Mukuro, if you want to know anything about me, I’ll tell you. I’m an open book.”

“Thank you, and I’m sorry.” She sobbed into me as the lecture sunk in, “I could’ve…”

“Don’t worry about that right now.”

“Yes, worry about that right now!” Doug fumed. “Marcus, we were sent here to save this world. If we die, so does this world, so, yes, we need to ensure that the people close to us aren’t going to murder us over a small doubt!”

“That’s enough, Doug.” I understood what he was thinking, but he shouldn’t have said that with Mukuro in the state she’s in. She was sobbing even harder now, if that was possible, as she remembered our mission.

“I hope you’re right about her, because if you’re not we’re all dead.”  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
I had just gotten back from my workout with Sakura. She’d came with a training schedule and taught me how to do all the drills on it, but I’m a bit miffed. I might not be a “proper” fighter, but I still held my own against her even without rage mode, I’m fairly certain I’m beyond basic drills. I was approaching Marcus’s room to see if he needed anything done, but I heard something as I opened the door.

“That’s enough, Doug.” Marcus was angry, but not yelling. He’s probably holding it together for his girlfriend. What did Doug do now?

“I hope you’re right about her, because if you’re not we’re all dead.” His temper was high too, and he’d probably already yelled. They may come to blows if this keeps up, wouldn’t be the first time they slugged each other for saying something stupid. I’d better step in.

“What’s all this mess?”

Doug spoke first, pointing at Mukuro. “She might kill us all.”

“No, she won’t.” Marcus defended. “Doug’s paranoid because of what happened today, but we worked it out.”

“Worked what out?” What could Mukuro have done to make Doug turn on her like this?

“I’m sure Steve would like to know what happened on your date. You want to tell him, or should I?”

“I know what you’re doing.” He turned to me, “Steve, I will tell you everything once I sort this out, but we need an impartial mediator—”

“And you think _he_ can do it? He always takes your side.” Doug does have a point, but if my friends are fighting, I’ll be there for them.

“Screw it. What’s the situation you can tell me?”

“Mukuro expressed doubts about us during our date, because apparently my methods for dealing with problems are similar to Junko’s.”

“Look, I may not be a genius, but I’m not stupid either. Mukuro, you threatened to hurt Marcus to try to get info out of him, right?”

She just nodded. Obviously, she loves Marcus, so once she got over her doubts, her emotions caught up with her.

“Okay. I’m miffed, but Marcus forgave you, so I’ll put that on the back burner until we sort this out.”

“I’m worried that if Mukuro has another doubt later, she’ll kill us.” Doug made his stance known again.

“And I’m telling you she won’t. She only defaulted to threats because she doesn’t know how to resolve conflict peacefully. Think about it, her only examples are war and her…sister.” Marcus hesitated, could be he’s trying to avoid calling that bitch something Mukuro’s not comfortable with. “Anyway, she can learn. We talked about that before we came here.”

“Alright. Doug, say I agree with you, what do you think we should do?”

“I haven’t figured out a concrete plan yet, but I do trust Mukuro to tell us when she has doubts. Until we can completely be sure of her loyalty, we need to limit her involvement in gang matters, that means we only call her when we’re sure we need her, and if she still has doubts, we’ll find another way.”

“Wait, does that mean she’s not allowed in the safehouse?” I hear a slight mischievous tone in his voice, so I know Doug hears it. He’s not going to let that distract his argument though. 

“Ideally, she wouldn’t be here unless she’s part of a job.”

“Wouldn’t strategic ignorance make her have more doubts? I’d probably just tell her the plans anyway so she wouldn’t worry.” I know that tone. He’s not backing down until everything’s back to normal, though I will have questions for Mukuro about pulling a gun on my brother.

“Gods, Marcus! Do you have any faith in me?!” With anyone else, Doug’s the level-headed one, but Marcus is good at bringing out his angry, protective side.

“I have all the faith in the world in you. I know you wouldn’t hurt me even if there was a gun to your head. But I don’t see how excluding Mukuro from our meetings will help our present problems.”

“How about keeping a gun away from _your_ head? I’m just trying to keep you alive.”

“That was a one-time thing, I swear.” Damn. Mukuro’s still beating herself up over this. I’d better end this argument.

“Guys! Both of you make good points, but our lady friend here is still in a breakdown. Let’s table this for later.”

They nodded to each other in silent agreement. They may clash for the sake of progress, but they agree on everything that matters.

“I’ll walk you back.” Marcus, ever the gentleman. Doug’s face said he was thinking a million things at once, which, considering what he was, was a pretty common face for him to make. Once Marcus left, Doug decided to tear into me.

“What were you thinking?”

“I was mediating?”

“He’s never going to back down if you support him. Have you ever experienced a two-on-one argument? It’s not fun or fair.”

“I didn’t back anyone up. We’re still having this conversation.”

“Like hell you didn’t.” There it was, the patented mama bear stare, after years of dealing with us, Doug had mastered the art of conveying anger without showing it. “I just want what’s best for him.”

“I know, but just because you have more book smarts doesn’t mean you have more life experience. We’re all roughly equal in that department.”

“No, we’re not. Don’t you know Half-Elves live for over a hundred years? I might be an adolescent for my race, but I’m twenty-six.”

“You think I’m going to let this go? I’m going to question her on my terms once she calms down.”

“The Steve I know wouldn’t wait for that. I thought you’d back me up, what with her pulling a gun on Marcus. I’ve seen you beat people to death for less than that.”

“They were either strangers or enemies. She’s our friend, and I haven’t seen anything to change that. I’m not doubting it happened, but I have to get context before I side with anyone.”

He seemed to smile at this and said, “Since when are you the logical one?”

“Hey, I may be stupid with books, but I’ve got good instincts.”

“That’s too true for words to express.” Doug had fully dropped his anger, and the tension of the argument was but a memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all my readers and the people I've consulted behind the scenes to get better (wink!). Leave a comment if you desire and I'll do my best to keep writing so you can keep reading.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Once again, constructive criticism welcome, I'm pretty shy about writing, so if you want more, let me know.


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